Operation: OPPRESSION
by AceShadow
Summary: As a global conflict between kids and adults suddenly erupts and produces unimaginable chaos and suffering, Rachel finds herself doubting her ability to lead. The situation continues to grow increasingly desperate, causing her to depend more and more on Sector V leader, Nigel Uno. As the relationship between the two continues to evolve, they will discover a sinister plan.
1. Chapter 1: Prologue

Chapter 1: Prologue

…_As the remnants of the KND are in full retreat to the Moon Base, Father's forces continue to advance closer and closer to the Arctic Base, the KND's last stronghold on Earth..._

A frantic Nigel runs at full speed to the command post, signaling operatives nearby to abandon their defensive positions and report immediately to the main dock.

"Rachel, we need to pull back and regroup on the Moon Base, Father's armies are advancing at an alarming rate, and we are sustaining heavy casualties". Upon hearing this report, she sighed, putting her hands on a desk containing a map showing the positions of ally forces that still remained on Earth.

"Nigel, this war has escalated for far too long and has produced nothing but unimaginable suffering and loss, I hear reports of soldiers surrendering their posts all over the world, even going so far as abandoning them all together. The news of our seemingly imminent defeat is causing many to lose hope".

Rachel took a breath once more and began to look down at her feet.

"And it's partly my fault. I ignored all the early warnings, and have failed miserably as a Supreme Leader."

Nigel stared at his commander, he hadn't seen her in this much doubt since the I.T incident. He then took a deep breath and proceeded to respond in a soft and uplifting voice.

"You're a great leader and we need you more than ever. There's still a chance we can win this war, kids all over the world are depending on you"

Rachel looked up and gazed directly at Nigel. She always admired the way he somehow seemed to bring other people's spirits up, even her own.

"Thanks Nigel… I just hope you're right."

* * *

**OPERATION: OPPRESSION**

**O - Overly**

**P - Private**

**P - Program**

**R - Reinstate**

**E - Every**

**S - Sound**

**S - Scientist**

**I - In**

**O - Open**

**N - North**


	2. Chapter 2: The Calm Before the Storm

Chapter 2: The Calm Before the Story

*One month earlier*

The Supreme Leader paced back and forth on the Moon Base Bridge, assessing the usual complaints and reports from operatives. It was like any other ordinary day on the Moon base, running an organization containing a buhmillion kids with short attention spans.

As Rachel continued her path, she couldn't help but feel annoyed on how trivial and pointless most of this paper work was. In fact most of it consisted of operatives complaining about how their candy rations were too low, or how they were tired of the same ice cream flavors their sectors were given. She could never understand why kids could be so distracted by such minor inconveniences while the evils of adulthood leered at every corner.

She was much more mature and educated than most children in the organization. She understood the process of business and government, the art of manipulation, as well as strategic planning. Her former job as an espionage agent also gave her an advantage over most of the others.

Rachel was just about to enter the halls of the Moon Base before she suddenly overheard a small group conversation nearby.

"Man, I hear Father's doin' another one of his rally's again, all the adult villains of the world are attending". One of the kids in the group said in a quite worried some voice

Another operative in the group, a pilot, said in a cheerful voice to his fellow operative. "Hey man, don't even trip, Father does this quite frequently, it's nothing to be worried about, I'm more worried about Night Brace coming to my Sector and flossing my teeth CLEAN." This seemed to lighten the mood in the group, as all of them proceeded to laugh.

Rachel began to think to herself, the worried kid did have a point, Father's rally of adult villains was suspicious, but did happen from time to time. She thought nothing of it and continued to head to her office.

"Whatever, I have other matters to attend to" she murmured to herself.

She walked down the last segment of the Moon Base bridge, with operatives scurrying, gossiping, and running all over the place, and the sound of Numbuh 86 shouting orders at unsuspecting victims. It was just another busy day for her; same old boring and repetitive job as Supreme Commander of the Kids Next Door.

"Hey Rachel!" A familiar British accent said while she was just about to enter her safe haven.

Being caught off guard, she replied back sheepishly. "Hey Nigel, what brings you up here to the Moon Base?"

The two have formed a close bond after the I.T incident, and it was common for the two to refer to each other by their real names rather than their code numbers. Lately, Rachel begun to develop something unique towards Nigel, but she never had the time to think about it. Besides, the boy was still recovering from his break up with Lizzie, and she didn't feel it was right to open up old wounds. Not to mention the fact that it's not every day your tree house goes renegade.

Nigel frowned back, his enthusiasm seemed to die down. "Just filing another report about an encounter with Sticky Beard, I hate doing these".

Rachel smiled at Nigel "Yeah, filing these reports after every encounter does get quite annoying, but it's necessary."

Nigel shrugged as he finished filling in the final part of the paper. "I guess. Hey Rachel, I'll catch you later, seems like you're a bit busy and I have some matters to tend to at my sector". She replied back, getting a good look at the British boy, "Ok, see ya' around Nigel." She then turned away, promptly entering into her office.

As Nigel begun to walk to the Moon Base dock a thought entered his mind. The way Rachel addressed him with her soft voice always put him in a slight trance, an effect no girl ever had on him, not even his ex-girlfriend Lizzie. He dismissed the thought and entered the S.C.A.M.P.E.R that was returning to his sector.

"She's just a good friend, that's all."

TRANSMISSION INTERUPTED

* * *

**NOTE_ - Chapter has been edited, grammatical errors corrected and sentences may have been rephreased_**

**UPDATE (12/19/12)_: I have changed the events that are happening to one month prior to the events in Chapter 1_**

**_This means that it is no longer "ONE YEAR LATER" but "ONE MONTH LATER", this is so it properly fits the story time frame_**


	3. Chapter 3: The Beginning

Chapter 3: The Beginning

...Connection re-established...

The blonde girl entered her office, and read a paper sitting on her desk. According to Teens Next Door reports, Father had begun to rapidly recruit teens and adults into his forces at an alarming rate, a buildup that hadn't been seen since Grand Father's re-emergence, which nearly destroyed the Kids Next Door as well as youth all over the world.

She continued to read the reports, and became increasingly dismayed as it was apparent that Father was planning something big.

The last time Rachel ignored such warnings it produced devastating results. She acknowledged that they were only saved by Nigel, who held a firm belief in Numbuh Zero who was later revealed to be his dad. Unfortunately, he also found out that he was related to Father and Grand Father, two people who absolutely despised children.

As she finished the report and settled it down on her desk, she contacted Kids Next Door Global Command to inform them of this situation. "Ring up Global Command on the screen" she requested her computer. The computer acknowledged her request and brought up the high ranking officials on screen.

"Numbuh 362 sir!" The officials responded as the transmission was established.

"I have come to inform you of Father's growing military strength on Earth, and suggest that we put all Sectors as well as KND forces on alert. I also request that we increase our offensive as well defensive capabilities." Central command produced a sense of bewilderment at the girl's suggestions.

"Supreme Leader, according to OUR intelligence, this situation is nothing to be worried about. Father is not a threat, and we will not do anything hasty that will produce unnecessary conflict unless proven otherwise."

Rachel then had a stern look on her face, she was puzzled on how clueless and passive they acted about the matter. She proceeded with a commanding voice. "Look, I'm not asking, I'm DEMANDING, we take action now, before it's too late. Too me it seems like your memory of a past incident that nearly wiped us out seems to be forgotten."

The authority's on the other side of the screen seemed to ignore her warning and replied back in a calm manner. "I'm sorry Supreme Leader, but from our perspective, there is insufficient evidence that would suggest that Father's increasing activities are a threat to the organization or kids all over the world, transmission out". The screen then blanked out leaving Rachel aggravated about the whole thing.

The more she thought about the conversation she had with global command, the more frustrated she felt. She knew why they appeared oblivious to her dire warnings. Grand Father's near take over of Earth had shaken the KND, and they wouldn't do anything that could provoke another incident. Instead, they would rather pretend the problem would subside, with the hopes that nothing drastic would occur.

"Bring up Sector V on screen". Rachel ordered her computer. "Acknowledged, establishing transmission with Sector V."

* * *

Back on Sector V, Numbuh 1 was analyzing Intel that showed suspicious enemy activity throughout the world. He would inform Rachel after he took a quick break.

During his break, he became submerged in deep thoughts, which eventually led him to think about Rachel. There was something about the girl he admired. The girl was organized, smart, and firm, but also acknowledged the thoughts and feelings of her fellow operatives. She was also an individual who had a sense of duty and commitment and was one of the few operatives besides himself who took the organization seriously.

He accepted that the bond between them had grown considerably ever since the I.T incident and also after his uncalled break up with Lizzie.

A transmission suddenly erupted on the screen in the Tree house's main lobby, breaking his thoughts.

Nigel stood up, straitened his stance, and saluted, "Numbuh 362 sir!"

"At ease Numbuh 1, I have contacted you to inform you that I suspect that Father is up to something, and since your sector deals with him the most, have requested your assistance." She responded back.

Nigel looked back on the screen, this was just the thing he was about to contact her about. "I was about to inform you about the same thing, according to Intel I have received from Numbuh 2's drones, there seems to be a rise in the amount of enemy activity throughout my sector and the world."

"Just what I had thought" She responded.

"Report to the Moon Base at once."

Shortly after, Nigel arrived at Moon Base and was welcomed by Numbuh 86's usual shouting and screaming. "I will never understand why she always call ya' when somethin' needs ta' be done. Anyway the Supreme Leader is waiting for ya' on the bridge, it appears to be somethin' urgent."

Nigel immediately headed to Rachel accompanied by Fanny Fulbright.

"Stoopid boy Numbuh 1 is here just as ya' requested Supreme Leader, Sir."

"Excellent." She turned back to address Numbuh 86 and Numbuh 1.

"I'll need to look over the images that were gathered from the drones, they will help me make a final decision about the situation."

Nigel obliged, and handed her a folder

As she scanned the reports, the situation appeared to be much worse than the Intel gathered by the TND suggested.

Much worse…

The papers contained information regarding the meaning of all the movement that Father was stirring up. It all began to make sense to Rachel as well as Nigel.

His forces were gathering up in strategic locations, near KND sectors as well as other valuable assets. His armies were also large enough to overwhelm any defensive positions as well as first response forces on Earth. It also showed that Father had built up a significant navy with the combined efforts of the Teen Ninjas.

This naval force was enough to severely damage or even cripple the Gihugeacarrier fleets stationed on Earth, the backbone of the organizations military strength.

She was disturbed on how Central Command could be so clueless about such threatening developments. Rachel began to think that maybe the high ranking officers that made up it's assembly were a bunch of incompetent, selfish, ignorant morons who were looking out for themselves instead of the interests of kids world wide.

Rachel tilted her head towards Nigel, and they both instantly knew what they had to do.

Rachel was the first to speak. "Global Command continues to ignore the situation, and we have to do something, now."

"But didn't they already disapprove of your course of action?" Nigel responded back, already thinking of a plan.

"Forget them, those idiots are too worried about appeasing Father, we need to act quickly if we want to prevent anything devastating from happening".

The pair thought of a plan that would minimize the chances of them being spotted, and concluded that they both would go along with a small team of elite and seasoned operatives.

Nigel stared at Rachel for a bit, he always embraced the fact that she was a pretty girl, and thoughts began to run rampant throughout his mind. He was deeply concerned about her and her safety and before he knew it, words slipped out of his mouth.

"Rachel, are you sure you want to go on this mission? I mean, uh, it seems to be a bit dangerous, especially with such a high ranking figure such as yourself."

His voice sounded awfully fretful, something Rachel wasn't used too from the overconfident leader of Sector V. "Don't worry Nigel, I used to be an agent in the field once myself you know. I'll be able to handle everything just fine."

He then felt a warm hand affectionately touch his shoulder. "Besides, we'll have each other's back, see you first thing in the morning Nigel. Report back to the moon base at 0500 hours."

Their S.C.A.M.P.E.R would be escorted by several fighters in the morning until they neared enemy territory. From that point, they would be on their own.

Suddenly, an incoming transmission from the Deep Sea Science lab erupted on the bridge's main screen.

"Urgent!" Responded Numbuh 167, head of security at the lab, nearly out of breath.

"What is it Numbuh 167?" Rachel answered back, anxious to hear the news.

Numbuh 167 regained his breath and began to talk. "About 20 minutes ago, unknown forces, bearing significance to the Teen Ninjas attacked the lab kidnapping several scientists in the process. Their uniforms however did not match the ones we are familiar with and their attacks seemed to be far more coordinated than the Teen Ninjas."

Rachel and Nigel were disconcerted, something was definitely up, and they needed to find out what it was before it was too late.

* * *

_In the deep corners of the Arctic, hidden from the prying eyes of Kids Next Door satellites,_ _a shadowy figure enters a secret facility._

"Sir, everything seems to be proceeding as planned, the Kids Next Door don't seem to realize what's going on, and Father's forces are gathering strength and are expected to assault Kids Next Door bases in a couple of weeks, a month at most." The shadowy figure said projecting his voice towards a dark a corner.

A voice then replied back "Ah, and what about the KND carrier fleets?"

The shadowy figure smirked. "They won't know what hit them."

"Perfect, our plan is continuing to proceed smoothly and what about the scientists I requested..? Have you extracted them to further our research?" A set of shiny leather gloves broke out of the dark corner.

"Yes sir, they have been acquired and are waiting on the loading dock."

An average sized figure, wearing a uniform, looking almost identical to those worn by German Officers during World War 2, emerged from the shadows.

"Excellent… Everything seems to be going according to plan."

TRANSMISSION INTERUPTED

* * *

_******NOTE**__ - Chapter has been edited, grammatical errors corrected and sentences may have been rephreased_

_**Make sure to favorite and/or follow! It's an indication to me that people are reading the story and makes me update much more faster!**_

_**Also most important is REVIEWS! Whether it be praising my writing, or giving me constructive criticism, this helps me work on things that YOU, yes YOU, the reader believe that I should work on.**_

_**Have a great day!** _


	4. Chapter 4: Wake Up Call

Chapter 4: Wake Up Call

…Connection Re-Established…

Nigel reported to the Moon Base at 5 o'clock in the morning, he had informed his parents that his school was going on a field trip to Europe and Rachel followed up with the same excuse.

Rachel had already arranged for Fanny to be in charge while she was gone and ordered the boy hating girl to inform her of any strange activity.

They met on the main dock, along with the team Rachel had hand-picked.

There were four other operatives on the main deck, not including Rachel or Nigel.

Nigel turned to Rachel and proceeded to ask her a question. "Care to introduce me to our new team mates for this mission? I mean we are headed into enemy territory and it would be of great use if I knew who they were."

"Oh sorry, allow me to introduce them to you. The operatives I choose for this mission are some of the most decorated and hardened operatives ever to serve the KND."

All the individuals before them had a standard black uniform, with each one possessing unique attributes that gave some suggestion to what their specialized field was.

She pointed to the first member of the team.

He was wearing a set of dark shades, and had a very slim physique. His hair was sleeked back and the boy seemed to have a calm personality.

"Numbuh 624, meet Numbuh 1". The two operatives shook hands.

"It's a pleasure to meet such a legendary operative such as yourself. Your tactics are often spontaneous and risky, but they get the job done, and that's all that matters".

Nigel smirked a bit, he felt flattered by such compliment.

Numbuh 624 then resumed, "I will be the sharp shooter of your group, I specialize in reconnaissance as well as infiltration, a job similar to Numbuh 362's former job as an espionage agent. If you can excuse me; I still have some final preparations to attend to".

He turned and loaded a modified Kids Next Door 2x4 rifle into his bag, along with a set of binoculars.

They switched their attention to a short girl with brown hair, who was wearing a black beanie along with her black uniform. Her physical appearance suggested she had seen a lot of action during her time with the KND, and was apparent through her sharp black eyes.

"This is Numbuh 900, she is a one of the most deadliest combatants of the KND and specializes in hand to hand and close quarters combat."

The operative before him looked back directly towards his direction. He made eye contact with her for a split second. A thought entered his mind; something was off about this girl.

"She has somewhat of a tragic story, apparently she was part of some incident that happened not too long ago. She never talks about it much though, in fact she hardly talks at all." Rachel whispered to Nigel.

Nigel got one last good look at Numbuh 900, on her wrist she had a thin golden bracelet that was encrypted "Death before Dishonor".

Rachel introduced him to the third operative she selected for the team, he was a big fellow, nearly towering over him and making Rachel look like an ant.

"Nigel this is Numbuh 789." Nigel lent out his hand to the giant figure.

The tall operative stared at Nigel, and then finally accepted his hand shake, his strength nearly crushing Nigel's hand in the process.

"An honor meeting you Numbuh 1! I have heard many stories about you, including how you're related to the legendary Numbuh Zero and how you managed to defeat Grand Father. My job includes carrying heavy ordinances in case the missions gets a bit messy as well as serve as your mechanic."

"I see". Nigel said a bit shaken on the size of the boy.

Rachel calmed Nigel a bit and patted him on the back, sensing his fear. "Hey I know he's a bit intimidating, but he's a really nice guy."

Nigel felt a sense of jealousy in him at Rachel's comment. "Whatever you say." He murmured to himself in a slightly irritated voice.

"And this is the last member of the team, Numbuh 222." Nigel looked at the fellow operative; he wore the same thing as all the other members, a black uniform; however his grey hair and scar across his face was something that stood out to him.

Numbuh 222 acknowledged him from a distance, nodding his head at him as he packed some strange looking gear onto the S.C.A.M.P.E.R.

Nigel then asked Rachel. "What does he specialize in?"

Rachel responded quickly. "Unconventional tactics and guerrilla warfare."

This boy like Numbuh 900 also had a unique story.

Apparently he grew up in the Balkan areas of Eastern Europe, an unstable and volatile place that was plagued by political instability as well as ethnic cleansing. Father took advantage of this situation and hired several mercenaries in the area to do his bidding.

Unlike Numbuh 900, his story was well known. His village was ambushed by Father's mercenaries in his attempt to kidnap or even dispose of all the children in the area. The village was burned to the ground and he was marked the only survivor.

Rumors say he then trailed the ones who committed such atrocities towards his people and followed them into the forest. What happens here, only he knows, but sources say all they could hear were blood curdling screams, followed by an eerie silence.

Nigel was a bit shocked. Rachel smiled and proceeded to lighten the mood, hoping to alleviate any tense feelings Numbuh 1 was feeling

"Hey don't worry, he's generally calm and stable, just don't interrupt when he gets in his zone and you'll be fine."

"If you say so." Nigel relaxed a bit and began assembling his own gear.

As they all finished loading up their gear, they began boarding the S.C.A.M.P.E.R.

As they proceeded to load into the ship, Rachel then looked at Nigel, her brown eyes piercing right through his soul. "Hey Nigel, do you mind if I ask you a, um, personal question?" She mustered in the cutest voice Nigel had ever heard.

"Sure, go for it."

"I know this is a bit personal, but do you still think about Lizzie from time to time, I mean I noticed you do seem to space off sometimes, and I don't want this to affect the outcome of this mission".

Nigel didn't know how to respond.

"Sometimes… I really did care for her, but apparently my duty to the Kids Next Door got in way of our relationship and she just couldn't take it anymore. I wish things would've turned out more differently."

Rachel then began to feel a naught in her throat slowly develop as she attempted to hold back her emotions from showing. "Oh, I understand…" She then remained silent as they boarded the ship that would take them to their destination.

She wondered to herself why she asked such a foolish question. It had only been a few weeks since they broke up, of course the boy still had feelings towards his former girlfriend.

As they took their seats, Nigel had begun to notice how uncharacteristic she was acting. She was sitting right next to him, hair covering her eyes, in total silence.

He didn't understand why she suddenly had such a drastic mood change. Was it something he said?

The thought of something bothering his Supreme Leader ate away at him and finally words slipped out of his mouth.

"Hey Rachel is everything ok?"

Rachel turned her head towards Nigel and softly responded. "I'm fine, thanks for asking though".

However, she still felt hurt inside, seeing how Nigel still had feelings towards Lizzie. She always wondered what he saw in that girl. She was controlling, aggressive, judgmental, and always accused him of cheating with other women. But Nigel seemed to care dearly about the girl, and Rachel respected that.

Rachel shrugged off the thought, and cleared her mind. She had a mission to do.

Their final destination would be the last location Father was spotted, somewhere in Moscow, Russia. At this location, they also hoped to find the kidnapped scientists, which they suspected had a connection to Father.

Several minutes after the S.C.A.M.P.E.R entered into Earth's atmosphere, the ship abruptly landed on a Kids Next Door Gihugeacarrier.

"Hey this is nowhere near our destination, what's going on here?!" Numbuh 222 exclaimed

The pilot of the ship snorted at the grey haired boy. "I received last minute orders from the admiral."

Rachel shifted her attention to the pilot and commanded him. "We don't have time for this, take off now. I'll explain the situation to him later."

A voice suddenly broke out near the exit of the vehicle.

"I'm afraid we have much too discuss Supreme Leader".

The person in question was wearing a navy blue uniform with golden threads embedded at the end of his sleeves.

He was decorated with a variety of medals.

This person was Numbuh 288, admiral of the KND Atlantic fleet.

"Excuse me admiral, but we don't have enough time for this."

The admiral then turned to acknowledge Rachel's concern.

"Your right, we don't."

Rachel looked at Numbuh 288.

Was it possible he knew about their plan? Was he ordered by Global Command to stop her from proceeding further?

He analyzed the other operatives onboard the S.C.A.M.P.E.R beforel he finally spotted Nigel.

"Oh, I see you brought along the famous Numbuh 1 with you as well. Please follow me too my main office. We'll talk from there."

She signaled the rest of her team to follow.

"No, just you two." Rachel sighed. Another top secret briefing for VIP's only she assumed.

As they walked into the entrance of the carriers hull, they noticed a large amount of activity going about around them. The crews on deck were loading KND bombers as well as fighters, and seemed to be prepared to launch at a moment's notice. Several K.O.L.O.S.S.A.L.I.N.E.R cruisers as well as the other smaller ships also seemed have taken up defensive positions.

The admiral was getting ready for something and Rachel knew it.

As they reached the admirals office, he shut the door and immediately sat at his deck.

He smiled.

"Please take a seat."

They sat down and Rachel looked at the boy very intently.

"Do you know something we don't? You look like you're gearing up for war."

The captain's smile then slowly dimmed down.

He brought up a hologram that showed KND positions around the world as well as enemy activity and locations.

"This was a month ago." The hologram showed an image of the globe, with large amounts of green dots, and a small amount of red dots.

"The green dots indicate Kids Next Door Sectors and positions and the red dots represent the enemy's."

The two operatives analyzed it, before the admiral quickly changed the image. This time the amount of red dots increased exponentially, mainly in places such as Russia and Eastern Europe.

He then turned his attention to Nigel and Rachel. "You know just as well as I do that Father is up to something, and the Intel gathered by my drone's shows overwhelming proof that conflict is inevitable."

"Did you inform Global Command?" Rachel responded back

"Yea, they seem to be turning a blind eye on this subject, incompetent fools."

"You too I see." She said deep in thought

"But still, I don't see why you have to inform me about this. I'm already aware of the situation."

Numbuh 288 sighed.

"I know what you're planning, and may I add that it may be too dangerous. We can't risk sending you guys over deep into enemy territory, especially by air, and the intelligence you may have received Supreme Leader sir, may be weeks old already."

Rachel and Nigel were puzzled by the admiral.

The admiral continued. "The situation has been quickly escalating, the enemy controls the air space in the area, and we lost contact with the Sector in Moscow a week ago."

Nigel stood up. "But we..."

Rachel interrupted Nigel before he could finish his sentence. "No Nigel, he's right, it's too risky to go there by air." She then paused, and thought of another solution.

"How's the situation on the ground?"

The admiral thought about her suggestion for a moment and rubbed his hand on his chin. "It's getting worse every passing day, but I think we can manage to slip you guys in. Upon entering Moscow you can rendezvous with Teens Next Door Operative Maurice, he's been tracking enemy activity in the region for weeks. However, Global Command has yet to declare a state of war, which leaves you on your own once you enter enemy territory."

The two operatives looked at each other. "We're willing to take the risks."

Numbuh 288 nodded his head, accepting their plan. "I must warn you this will be no walk in the park, I advise you proceed cautiously."

The leader of Sector V and the Supreme Leader of the Kids Next Door then walked out and returned to their S.C.A.M.P.E.R where their team awaited them.

"So what did the admiral inform you about?" asked a calm and collective Numbuh 624.

"It looks like plans have changed, we're going to have to reach our destination by land." Announced Rachel so that the whole team could hear.

"By land? Are you kidding me that will take forever!" Numbuh 222 answered back, last minute changes to plans bothered him a lot, and he considered them to be a nuisance.

Rachel then continued. "I know, but we have no choice."

* * *

They arrived in Berlin, Germany, where they met with KND forces stationed in the area.

A convoy was of 2x4 troop transports were already waiting for them.

One of the KND infantrymen approached Rachel.

"Welcome Supreme Leader Sir, we've been expecting you. We got orders to escort you to several miles outside of Moscow, but after that you'll be on your own."

She nodded, and then signaled her team to board the trucks

The rest of the team, for whatever reason chose to ride in pairs. Numbuh 222 with 900, and Numbuh 624 with 789.

They could hear Numbuh 789 complain about how the truck was too small for him in the distance, and this eased the tensions that Nigel and Rachel were feeling about the mission.

It would take them several days, with stops along the way, to reach their final destination.

As they settled comfortably into their seats along with several other KND soldiers, Rachel sighed.

"I can't help but feel like something terrible is going to happen…"

She faced Nigel who was looking at her with re-assuring eyes hidden behind his shades.

"Don't worry; we'll have each other's backs."

* * *

It was nightfall, and the convoy was entering the woods which put several of the soldiers on edge. Nigel was still wide awake, thinking about the mission. They were about to enter enemy territory and he thought about the admiral's warning.

The admiral believed that all this activity pointed out to the possibility of war, but what if it was much more than that?

Nigel moved his body to the opposite direction only to find Rachel fast asleep. Her oversized orange tiger striped sweater seemed to engulf her, and acted almost as a sleeping bag. He couldn't help to notice on how peacefully she seemed to sleep.

Nigel turned to back of the vehicle, where there was an opening that served as both the exit and entrance for the back of the truck. He could see the lights of the other trucks nearby, but what caught his attention was how brightly lit the sky was with countless stars.

He wondered if somewhere out there, someone was looking back at him and whether or not that the children there had to deal with the same problems they had on Earth.

He nearly jumped out his seat when he heard a voice, and turned to see two big brown eyes staring right at him.

"Still awake I see?" Rachel said, sounding half asleep.

"Sadly…" he replied back, staring at the stars.

"The stars are beautiful tonight aren't they?"

"Yeah…" he answered back, his mind still in a state of trance as he gazed into the night sky.

"Hey Rachel can I ask you a question?" Nigel added as he turned away from the stars.

"Sure Nigel."

"What made you ask me about Lizzie?" Rachel was dumbfounded by the question.

She proceeded to answer his question, trying to hide any emotions or feelings she held deep inside her.

"Well, you're one of my closest friends Nigel, and the way you sometimes space out deeply concerns me. I was just worried that's all, I wanted to make sure everything was fine."

After taking a couple seconds to assess his thoughts he interupted the brief silence that had fell inside the truck.

"Oh I see… do you think it was wrong of me to do the things I did too her? I mean every time I promised to take her on a date, I'd end up going on a mission last minute or something along those ends."

"No, not at all. I mean, she tried to change the very essence of your being, and even put you and your team mates in danger at times. A person who really cares for you loves you for what you are, nothing more, and nothing less."

Nigel thought deeply about Rachel's response.

"Anyway, I'm going back to sleep, and I think you should too! We got a busy schedule ahead of us and it'll be best if we get our rest"

Nigel yawned, "Yeah, I guess you're right. Night, Rachel."

"Night, Nigel"

The convoy proceeded further into the woods, approaching a set of lights that lit up the horizon.

They were unaware of the figures that had been tracking them ever since they departed from Berlin. One of them, still covered by the shadows then pulled out his communicator.

"Their heading toward Moscow"

"Follow them." A cold voice responded.

"As you wish" the shadowy figure said before turning off the device.

* * *

It was morning and they had arrived at a large town not too far from the border between Poland and Russia. The convoy had stopped to refuel at the outpost in the area, and it would take an hour or two before they were ready to make the final voyage to their destination.

Rachel jumped out of the 2x4 truck, preceded by Nigel. They could overhear the chatter of their team mates.

"That had to be the MOST uncomfortable 10 hours of my life." mumbled Numbuh 789 grouchily

"I thought it was really comfortable."

Numbuh 789 turned to the voice. "You've got to be kidding me...well that's coming from you, I mean for Pete sake, you'd probably be comfortable sleeping in a tree."

"I have, it's actually not all that bad." defended the grey haired operative like he was stating a fact

"Everyone just needs to calm down, it wasn't that miserable..." Numbuh 624 butted in.

"Easy for all of you to say, none of you are over 6 feet."

The tall operative then proceeded to get breakfast.

"Wow, after hearing that conversation, I would've never thought they were some of the most elite operatives of the KND." Nigel commented while putting his hands in his pockets

Meanwhile, Numbuh 900 was still sitting in the back of a truck, remaining quiet as usual. Nigel glanced at the girl, who glanced back, which caused him to immediately turn in the other direction.

"Has she always been this way? I mean she's like the definition of anti-social." He whispered to Rachel.

Rachel looked at the ground, trying to recall what she read about 900's profile.

"Hey remember that "incident" I told you when I first introduced you to her?"

Nigel nodded.

"From what I read, I believe she was involved in some covert mission that went wrong."

"Interesting, what was the mission about?" He asked as his curiosity began to take over.

Rachel then yawned, still half asleep. "Well, I believe it was some mission in the Arctic, apparently there was some top secret facility in the area that was developing some scary stuff. Her team was sent up there to destroy the facility along with its research.

She paused. "They succeeded but unfortunately, she was deemed the only survivor, and ever since she's hardly spoken a word."

Nigel then looked perplexed. Before he could say another word, Rachel interrupted him

"Hey let's go get breakfast, I'm getting pretty hungry and by the looks of things you are too."

She was right, the journey did take a toll on him. They then walked together towards the local bed and breakfast inn.

As they entered, they were immediately seated by one of the waiters. "Can I help you?" the waitress said in a heavy Polish Accent.

Nigel, now eager to eat, ordered first "Uh yes, I'll just take pancakes and eggs." The waiter than jotted down the order

"And how about you?" She turned to Rachel

"Oh um, I'll take Egg Benedict, Apple Puff pancakes, and Crepe's please!"

Rachel produced in an incredibly sweet and innocent voice while tilting her head.

The waitress looked puzzled.

She revised her order, "Erm, I'll just have what he's having". The waiter smiled, wrote down her order, and went back into the kitchen.

"Geeze Rachel, what was that all about? Nigel looked at her, his brows moving up behind his shades. He did have to admit though; the way she presented her order to the waitress was pretty cute.

"Sorry! I'm just used to having that for breakfast, that's all."

She did it again, Nigel felt like he was nearly melting inside when he heard her intentionally sweet sounding voice.

There was a reason behined the girl's complicated order. Rachel grew up in a rich family; her father was a renowned surgeon, and her mother was a financial advisor. She didn't like showing off her wealth, but she was used to the better side of life, and sometimes forgot that when she went into public places like restaurants, which she rarely entered.

"Oh, don't worry about it." He turned and made direct eye contact with Rachel.

They stared at each for a few seconds before Rachel twisted away to hide her blushing cheeks.

After several minutes, the waiter returned with their food, breaking the awkward silence that had fallen between them.

They ate it quickly in order to prevent further delaying of the convoy.

As Rachel and Nigel got out of their seats and exited the inn, Rachel spotted a peculiar figure. He was wearing a face mask that covered everything but his eyes, and wore a tightly kept greyish uniform with black gloves and black boots. On his head, he wore a plain military styled cap. She could also make out a faint bright golden light shimmering from his wrists, but his sleeves covered it almost entirely.

The figures following him wore identical uniforms, except they wore military goggles that covered their eyes, and beanies. She turned back for a second; these guys looked awfully suspicious. As she glanced for a second look, they had vanished.

"Hey Nigel, did you see that?" She quickly turned to Nigel

"See what?"

"Never mind, don't worry about it."

They met up with the rest of their team and loaded up on the trucks.

The convoy would escort to the outskirts of Moscow where they would be dropped off. The area was deemed too dangerous for KND presence, and the disappearance of the Sector in the area reinforced the fear.

As soon as they entered the city, they would immediately rendezvous with Maurice, who would be waiting for them near the Kremlin.

Nigel glared at Rachel, who looked a bit tenser. They were so close to their destination, so close to the enemy. From there, they would be cut off from any support, and she would have to depend on Nigel and the team she assembled.

The thought of the figures she saw near the bed and breakfast inn bothered her, and she quickly refocused her mind on the mission.

Moscow waited, and so did Father

TRANSMISSION INTERUPTED


	5. Chapter 5: Compromised

Chapter 5: Compromised

…Connection Re-Established…

_Somewhere in Moscow, Father had arranged a meeting with several of his top commanders._

"Are the final preparations complete?" Father addressed to all his subordinates.

"Yes sir, your armies are awaiting orders." One of the commanders said, shaking before sitting back down in his seat.

The dark silhouette grinned and glanced at all the high ranking authorities with a sense of approval.

"Good, Cree assemble your team, you will command the first wave of attacks against those miserable Kids Next Door."

"Finally." Muttered Cree.

Suddenly, a figure in his early teenage years busted through the door, shocking all the occupants inside except for Father himself.

The adolescent was wearing a greyish uniform, along with a facemask that covered everything but his eyes. His cap was now replaced with a formal officer hat with a golden insignia that was shaped as the Earth and had an eye in the middle.

"You… what do you and your "superior" wants this time?"

The boy ignored Fathers comment, and began to move in closer towards Father and his seated commanders.

"Are your forces ready to launch the assault on the Kids Next Door?"

"What does it matter to you, you brat." Grumbled Father, turning his back.

The teen sighed at the comment and snapped his finger, causing a number of figures to emerge from the shadows, instantly grabbing all the commanders present and holding knives up to their throats.

Cree and some of the Teen Ninjas raised their guard and activated their BRA's.

"Who the hell are these creeps?!" shouted Cree, now confused about the unknown men that surrounded them.

The figures were wearing black robes, sleek helmets, and gas masks. They were also wearing red armbands that had the same insignia that marked the boy's hat.

Father began to look irritated. "We had a deal, how would your Superior feel about this huh..? You can't enact your plans without my help."

The teenage boy then signaled his men to stand down, causing them to let go of their victims and retreat back into the shadows.

"Now that I've got your attention, let us discuss some interesting developments."

Father mumbled underneath his own breath and allowed the boy to speak. Why did someone always have to barge in on his meetings? All they had to do was knock.

The boy continued, his boots making a squeaking sound as he walked around the room.

"Are you aware of the Kids Next Door operatives currently headed towards Moscow?"

"No I wasn't." Father chafed.

"Well apparently, after extensive spying and tracking, one of them appears to be Supreme Leader Numbuh 362."

Father nearly gasped, this was the same girl who ate ALL that Broccoli and nearly shoved some of that cursed vegetable down his throat.

"And the other one is, this might be interesting, Numbuh 1." The boy then stopped and looked directly at Father.

"My stupid nephew" Father's face became more tense and serious.

"Ah yes your Nephew" The teen smirked "I have some of my own elite forces in the area to dispatch of them do you wish to…"

Father suddenly burst into flames, causing everyone in the room take cover and the adolescent to take a step back.

"NO, you will do nothing, I WILL DEAL WITH HIM, NOW LEAVE!"

The teen regained his composure, "As you wish, just remember your part of the bargain."

Before he walked out of the room, the juvenile added one last comment "Oh, and by the way, your weapons are ready."

Suddenly, a canister hit the ground, and produced an intensely bright light that blinded all in the room.

Father shielded his eyes and attempted to regain his vision.

The heated figure looked around, the boy now gone.

He then turned towards Cree, his eyes full of rage.

"Change of plans… deal with Numbuh 1 and his Supreme Leader."

* * *

As the convoy neared Moscow, it slowed down to a complete stop.

"This is how far we can take you Supreme leader" announced one of the infantrymen. As far as Rachel could tell, he looked nervous, and rightfully so.

The area they had stopped was on an open vulnerable field, with the city being just over the horizon.

"When you're ready, we will extract you a few miles from this exact location. Good luck." The infantrymen handed Rachel a map that showed the point of extraction as well as the city of Moscow.

"Thanks for the lift." Rachel responded.

The plan was to enter the city undetected, contact Maurice, find the missing sector in the area and hopefully the kidnapped scientists, and gather intelligence that would allow them to foil anything Father had planned.

Rachel called her team together.

"Listen up, the mission we are going on is of the utmost importance, and failure is not an option. Watch each other's back and leave no one behind. We'll put an end to whatever Father's planning no matter what it takes."

She dismissed the team, who proceeded to remain silent while loading their gear off from the trucks. As they took out the last bag they had brought for the mission, the KND infantrymen saluted them and drove off into the distance.

They were now cut off from the outside world, and well out of the range from any additional support.

Upon this site, Nigel looked at Rachel, trying to read any emotions she was feeling.

Rachel stared right back him directly into his eyes, and produced a half-smile. The mission they were about to proceed into was going to be difficult, and she thought maybe not all of them would make it back.

The city of Moscow lay several miles ahead, and trying to sneak in would be no easy task.

* * *

Upon entering the city, they attempted to blend in by dressing up as teenagers and wore clothes that were believed to be worn by their older counter-parts. However, their outfits looked rather obvious to anyone paying close attention to them due to the variety of weapons and devices that seemed to protrude from their clothes.

The group of elite operatives was surrounded by a large amount of enemy activity.

Father's soldiers were loading up supplies onto trucks, and tanks seemed to freely roam the streets. The air space in the area also seemed to bustle with Teen Ninja fighters and helicopters.

An invasion was imminent, and Rachel and Nigel were determined to stop it by any means necessary.

Nigel quickly whispered to Rachel. "Hey aren't we supposed to meet Maurice near the Kremlin?"

Rachel nodded; they would split into three separate "groups".

Nigel would go with Rachel to find Maurice, while Numbuh 900, 789, and 222 scouted the city, searching for potential threats that could possibly compromise the mission.

Meanwhile, Numbuh 624 would recon by himself, far ahead of both groups.

He was far more effective alone, and Rachel knew this.

As the group split apart the blonde commander noticed Numbuh 900's bracelet, there was something awfully familiar about it.

"Hey Nigel, remember those figures I saw at the inn?" she whispered.

"Yeah, what about them?"

"One of them was wearing a golden bracelet too." Rachel proclaimed causing Nigel to rub his chin for a bit before he spoke.

"Well, you know, she's not the only one who wears golden bracelets." Nigel stated, turning to proceed with finding Maurice.

"Yeah… I guess you're right."

She couldn't help but feel that there was a connection between the bracelet she spotted on the figure and the one that Numbuh 900 wore.

The two operatives advanced towards the Kremlin watching their back at every turn.

Nearby, Cree and the Teen Ninja's were rampantly searching for them.

"For Pete Sake, how hard could it be to find a bunch of snot nose brats? I mean c'mon, they're the only kids in the area!"

The Teen Ninja commander was becoming more aggravated by the minute. Despite how blatantly obvious their disguises were, it even fooled Cree.

As the operatives neared the Kremlin, they heard someone whisper their names from one of the alleyways.

They turned and searched in the direction of the voice. They could see a figure with a familiar hairstyle. It was Maurice.

"Quickly, follow me." He said in a shallow voice.

Rachel and Nigel followed Maurice down the dark alleyway and into an abandoned building.

Upon entering the structure, Maurice spoke to them, this time in a much louder voice.

"Did you bring anyone else along you?"

Rachel answered, crossing her arms "Yeah, we brought a team of four others. Why do you ask?"

"You're being tracked." Maurice said, while making sure the area was secure and empty.

"What? By who?" asked Nigel.

"Cree." The teen operative added.

Nigel rubbed the back of his bald head. They had entered the city undetected, how was this possible without the Father possessing forehand knowledge?

Maurice seemed to be aware of Rachel and Nigel's confusion and addressed their concerns after he was done peeking through one of the windows.

"No time to explain here. Numbuh 362 contact the rest of your team, I'll update you on everything once we reach a safer location."

The rest of the team, excluding Numbuh 624 was busy scouting the rest of Moscow. Aside from the mass mobilization of enemy forces in the area, nothing seemed to be out of place.

"This area is just booming with activity, how can command overlook such an obvious threat?"

The tall operative was observing Knightimations being delivered and repaired as well as enemy soldiers moving up and down the streets of Moscow.

"I know right? Well that's why we're here anyway, to put an end to anything Father is planning." answered Numbuh 222, standing next to his team mate who seemed to tower over him.

The two continued to examine the sites before them.

Suddenly, a soft voice broke out from behind them.

"We should keep moving, the enemy might take notice if we sit here too long."

As the two turned back, they were shocked when they saw who the owner of the voice was.

"You talk?" smirked Numbuh 222, twisting his head to get a good look at Numbuh 900

"Well obviously."

The mysterious brown haired girl seemed to be annoyed by the fidgety grey haired boy.

Unlike the others, she didn't have to wear a disguise. She was on the verge of becoming a teen and her physical appearance matched the description of one.

Numbuh 789 abruptly felt the vibration of his communicator coming from his pocket. He reached for the device, and answered it without hesitation.

A hologram of Rachel appeared from his communicator.

"Numbuh 789, report near the Kremlin at once, we'll meet you there. Also remain cautious of your surroundings, Cree is tracking you."

"Yes Supreme Leader Sir." He saluted.

The hologram disappeared, and Numbuh 789 proceeded to put the communicator back into his pocket.

The grey haired boy was eager to hear the news and nearly threw himself on top of Numbuh 789.

"Well what'd she say?!"

"I've been informed that we need to head back to the Kremlin." He grumbled while pulling Numbuh 222 off him.

"And also Father seems to be aware of our presence."

Numbuh 900 was baffled. "What? How, we entered the city without anyone noticing."

"This is the most you've spoken the entire trip!" exclaimed Numbuh 222.

"You're pretty jumpy aren't you?" Scoffed the brown hair girl, she barley even knew the boy, and already he was getting a bit on her nerves.

The three then headed towards the Kremlin, where they would meet up with the rest of the team.

* * *

Numbuh 624 was following a truck that led him to a remote area just on the outskirts of Moscow. He was camouflaged in the bushes and other vegetation that littered the land scape and was observing the enemy using a set of 2x4 binoculars.

"What are you guys planning?" He murmured to himself.

Several soldiers and what appeared to be one of Father's commanders exited the truck and dutifully stood.

Suddenly, he heard the loud noise of rotators coming from a helicopter just above him.

As the helicopter completed its landing, he noticed something extremely unusual about the men who exited the craft.

They weren't wearing Father's standard uniform that was issued to his soldiers which consisted of plain green or brown trousers and a helmet or beanie, and they certainly weren't Fathers Ice Cream shock troopers.

Instead they were wearing black robes, sleek helmets, and gas masks that covered their faces. On their red armbands, he noticed a unique insignia, which resembled a golden Earth with an eye in the middle of it.

He had never seen such uniforms during his service to the Kids Next Door, and he now suspected a new enemy.

While in thought, he spotted another figure, * roughly in his adolescent years, exit the helicopter. This one appeared to be high ranking.

His uniform was far more polished compared to those around him, and he wore an officer's hat that possessed the same markings found on the armbands of the unknown soldiers.

On his wrists, he noticed a bright golden object. He made it out to be a wristband, but the writing on it was too far for him to read.

He noticed that the leaders of both groups before him were having a conversation.

He then pulled out a 2x4 listening device that would enable him to listen to enemy conversations without putting him in harm's way. He pulled the headphones out, equipped it on his ear, and set the small microphone at the edge of the bush that was covering his position.

"Are you delivering the weapon?" Replied the enemy commander.

"Of course." The teen boy signaled the helicopter to open its cargo doors; ordering his men to unload it into the truck.

"More will be delivered later in the day." The teen added.

"Excellent, Father will be pleased to hear of the news." The commander grinned, now ordering his men to start the truck

The enemy commander then saluted to the high ranking teen, who saluted back.

The boy then crossed his arms behind his back and turned to re-enter the helicopter. It was at this moment that the writing on his wrist became more legible to read.

"Death Before Dishonor."

Numbuh 624 had an epiphany; this was the same bracelet Numbuh 900 wore!

There had to be a connection between the two, and he had to inform his superior as soon as he rendezvoused with the rest of the team.

His thoughts were immediately interrupted by a voice that came from the young juvenile, who stopped right at the doorway of the craft.

"I trust you will use this weapon to bring a swift victory… Oh and by the way, could you please dispose of that boy watching us?"

Numbuh 624 was puzzled, and looked back to see Cree and several Teen Ninja's already on his flank.

"What the…"

The boy was knocked out by nun-chucks before he could finish his sentence.

"About time I found one of you" Cree muttered to herself.

As she gestured the teens around her to pick up the unconscious boy, she heard a noise coming from his pocket; it was his communicator which, with a little hacking, could be used to trace the rest of his group.

* * *

They all met up near the suggested location, with the exception of one.

"Hey did you guys see Numbuh 624 on the way here? He's not answering his communicator." Rachel asked as the team huddled in a group.

Numbuh 789 shrugged. "He's probably too busy doing some heavy scouting I guess."

Rachel looked a bit uneasy, but accepted Numbuh 789's answer.

"I guess. I'll try to contact him later. Let's get out of here before someone spots us."

She then introduced her team to Maurice, who rushed them to a safe location.

They arrived in the sewers… and Nigel thought of all places…. Why did it have to be the sewers?

"Sorry for the… rather distasteful location, but it's the safest place I can think of." Maurice defended, watching as Nigel nearly threw up.

Rachel put her hand on his shoulders to try to calm him down, but nope too late. She immediately jumped back to avoid Nigel's onslaught of stomach fluid.

"Can you at last warn me next time before you decide to spew out your intestines?" Rachel scolded, causing Nigel to give her an apologetic stare.

She too couldn't stand the sewers, it was unsanitary. But she knew that it was the only place that wasn't constantly being patrolled and watched by enemy soldiers.

Rachel settled down and made a makeshift seat out a rock nearby.

"Ok Maurice, what was it you were going to talk to us about?"

Maurice cleared his throat, "Commander, apparently there's something going on under the guise of Father's plan, something much more sinister."

Nigel recovered from his puking sessions, and barley managed to mumble some words out.

"And?" he then puked again, this time getting some of it on his shoes.

Maurice continued a little disgusted by the scene Nigel had produced.

"According to evidence I and other TND operatives gathered, Father is working with some shady dude who believes he can end the bitter relationship between kids and adults by using some cruel contraption of his.

The team looked a bit more curious, what was it this time? Could this be the connected to the missing scientists?

The undercover teen paused and let out a small breath, "Unfortunately, we have no idea where this machine is… All we know is it's somewhere the elements are unforgiving."

Rachel broke the silence, and put her hands on her knees. "I see, well do you have any idea what this thing does?"

He then sighed, and looked up towards the ceiling of the sewers. "No, but what I do know is that it changes the very fabric of your soul… it changes you into something you're not…"

The brown haired girl, who was in the back of group, seemed to become more fidgety and Numbuh 789 took notice.

"You ok Numbuh 900?" asked the Numbuh 789, now a little spooked.

The usually quiet girl shouted back in a fiery voice. "I'm fine!"

"Geeze, he was just asking!" the grey haired operative blurted.

Rachel took notice of this; why did she start to act strange the minute Maurice mention something about this mysterious machine?

Her concentration was broken when she saw Nigel in front her about to puke right on her lap.

The blonde girl moved away instantly, barley escaping the food particles that had exited from Nigel's mouth.

"This is getting out of hand, Maurice. Don't you have another location we can chat at? Apparently one of our "finest operatives" can't handle the sewers." Rachel growled, looking at the Sector V leader with a disapproving face.

Maurice agreed.

He walked towards the ladder that led to the surface.

As he reached the top of ladder, and proceeded to open the cover, the exit exploded, causing him to be thrown back into the sewers.

Upon landing the ground, Maurice immediately fled the scene to avoid blowing his cover and identity as an undercover agent.

A cloud of dust surrounded the operatives, impairing their vision.

The group could hear Maurice's voice from a distance warning them to run and take cover, but it proved to be futile. He watched the scene in unfold, there was nothing he could possibly do.

Before they knew it, several figures emerged from the dust and snatched each and every one of them from behind.

Rachel attempted to defend herself before she was subdued. Out of desperation, she yelled out for Nigel.

Recovering from his illness, he attempted to rescue Rachel, but was immediately incapacitated by a pair of hands that violently trapped him.

Rachel, now baffled, turned to see who the identity of her captor was.

It was Cree.

"What? How'd you even manage to find us?!" wailed Rachel.

The Teen Ninja commander held up Numbuh 624's communicator.

"Does this look a bit familiar..?" she teased, signaling the other Teen Ninja's to move out

Rachel shrieked "What did you do with him?!"

"Don't worry you'll be joining him soon enough."

Cree then snuffed Rachel's face with a piece of cloth, causing her to pass out.

The last thing she could hear was Nigel yelling her name, before he himself suffered the same fate.

Rachel awoke to a voice that contained a heavy Russian accent.

"Comrade! Over here!" She quickly jerked her head toward the direction of the voice.

In the darkly lit cell across her was Numbuh 1917, part of the Sector in Moscow.

Despite suffering from head ache, she managed to stand up and respond back to the Russian operative.

"Where are we?" she said, still dizzy

The black haired boy responded. "You're located in Father's base of operations here in Moscow, not too far from the Kremlin. Our sector was kidnapped a little over the week ago in order to prevent us from warning the Kids Next Door."

It was at this moment she started to remember their purpose for being in the area, her team, and most important to her, Nigel.

"Where's my team?!" She yelled, causing it to echo throughout all of the cells

The Russian operative pointed to each of the cells; Numbuh 624 was still passed out, Numbuh 222 was attempting to break out his cell by using his teeth, Numbuh 789 was taking a nap, and Numbuh 900 sat in a corner, thinking of a solution. The rest of the Russian sector was located way down the row of cells.

But one operative was missing.

She began to panic, and nearly broke down in tears.

"Where's Nigel?!"

The Russian operative was confused, but attempted to figure out who it was she was talking about.

"Was he bald and wearing a red sweater and shades?" questioned Numbuh 1917

Rachel nodded, nearly in tears at the thought of something terrible happening to Nigel. What if he was seriously injured, or worse, what if he was…? She tried to distract her mind from the negative thoughts.

"They lead him into Father's office." The black haired boy sighed and sat back down in his cell.

Rachel collapsed in defeat, and slowly broke down.

"_This is all my fault, I'm so sorry Nigel_…"

* * *

Numbuh 1 was led down a narrow hallway, still half feeling the repercussions of being suffocated.

He was rudely awakened when he was shoved through a door that entered into what appeared to be an office.

Before him stood the very man that he despised.

"Father…" he grudgingly said, narrowing his eyes.

"Ah, yes, hello Nephew." Father said nearly chuckling.

Father got out from his desk, and began to pace back and forth.

"You know Nephew; I'm really disappointed in you. I expected more of a challenge."

"Untie me and you'll get your wish." Nigel grunted.

"Ah, let's not get to violent here shall we?" Father teased, he was enjoying every moment of this. After all, it wasn't everyday he managed to apprehend the infamous Nigel.

"What have you done with the kidnapped scientists you coward?"

"Scientists?" Father answered back with a hint of confusion in his voice.

"Yeah Father, don't play dumb, we all know you're the one who did it."

Father looked irritated. "Look boy, I have no idea what you're talking about. Besides, I have my own scientists, who possess far greater intellectual capacity than yours ever will."

The bald boy was mystified, if Father didn't kidnap the scientists, who did?

Suddenly, another thought emerged from Nigel's mind, where was his team, where was Rachel?

"What have you done with my team?" snarled the tied up bald boy.

"Oh, finally you ask me something I do know. Your team and your little girlfriend are safe… for now." Father said hauntingly

Nigel became distraught, especially for Rachel. The thought of something happening to her ripped him apart, but he couldn't let that show.

"I know what you're planning Father, and may I add, it won't work."

Father smirked, and came face to face with his nephew. "Oh really now? You and your team are tied up, your pathetic excuse for a Global Command is too scared to do anything, and my armies are prepared to assault."

Nigel then looked down at the floor, was Father right?

"You're bound to fail, just like you always do." He teased back, hoping to anger his uncle.

Father continued, "Oh is that so? Once I annihilate the Kids Next Door, I will finally get what I want, you'll see."

"And what exactly is that, delightfulized children, turning us all into animals, AGAIN, what?

Father produced another sinister grin, one that caused Nigel's insides to quiver.

"No… even better..." he muttered

Suddenly, several explosions could be heard outside along with the sound of gunfire.

"What is the meaning of this?!" Father shouted, looking out of the window to see what was happening outside

While Father was distracted, Nigel untied the rope that kept his hands cuffed together.

"Heads up Father!' he shouted half away across the room.

As Father turned away from the window, he was greeted by Nigel's shoe, which caused him to violently hit his head on a desk nearby.

"That's what you get when you miss with the Kids Next Door!" he mocked before running off

Father immediately rubbed the pain on the back of his head, "you'll pay for this nephew!"

Nigel hustled down the halls, desperately searching for the room that contained Rachel and his team mates.

"Rachel, I hope you're ok..." he mumbled to himself, before opening the door that led him directly into the cell blocks.

A bright light illuminated the room, causing Rachel to look up. She immediately recognized the figure running through the door way, it was Nigel.

Nigel grabbed the key at the entrance of the door and immediately unlocked all the cells releasing his team, as well as the Russian sector.

Upon opening Rachel's cell, she threw himself on him, hugging him tightly and digging her head into his chest.

Rachel murmured, "I'm so glad you're ok…"

Nigel embraced her into his arms. He couldn't bear the thought of losing her again.

Numbuh 222 interrupted, "Um sorry for breaking up such a sweet moment, but nice move Nigel, who'd you call for back up?"

The two quickly broke away from the hug.

"Errr… I never called back up…"

Unexpectedly and without warning, a wall in the back of the building exploded causing debris to spew everywhere.

As the dust began to settle, a familiar voice broke out from the explosion's point of origin.

"I heard someone needed back up, get it back up! We broke the back of a wall!"

"Numbuh 5 thinks your jokes are getting lamer and lamer…" another voice replied

Amidst the ashes appeared a S.O.O.P.R.E.M.E S.C.A.M.P.E.R

"Quick get in!" signaled Numbuh 5

The stunned children eagerly agreed, and boarded quickly.

"Welcome back Numbuh 1!" greeted Numbuh 3, holding a rainbow monkey in her arms

"We're deep behind enemy lines, and you brought along that thing?!" an aggravated Numbuh 4 blurted out.

Nigel was a bit confused, how did his Sector know he was even here? He gave them same excuse he gave to his parents, and put Abigail Lincoln in charge.

"How'd you guys know I was here?"

Numbuh 5 explained "The admiral, Numbuh 288 told us. He thought y'all might need some back up."

They were all relieved to be rescued, and nearly collapsed on the floor from exhaustion.

Rachel was in the back, taking in what had just happened. She'd never been so afraid in her entire life. Not for her own safety, but for another person's.

_Hugging him felt so right, like that's how things were supposed to be_… she thought to herself

Refocusing her mind on the situation at hand, Rachel realized that Numbuh 624 may have acquired key information during his reconnaissance.

"Is Numbuh 624 awake yet?"

Kuki, the medic on board examined the scout.

"No he's still unconscious."

"I guess we'll have to wait till he wakes up then." Rachel sighed, she needed to know what he saw and pronto.

Moments later, Rachel's communicator went off, it was Numbuh 86.

She quickly snapped out of her still drowsy state "What is it Fanny?"

"Father has launched a global attack Supreme Leader Sir! Our forces on Earth are being overrun as we speak!"

Rachel expressed a face of defeat.

She had failed, and now everyone would pay for her mistakes.

War had begun.

TRANSMISSION INTERRUPTED

* * *

_**UPDATE(12/27/12): Several mistakes in the story have been corrected, to clarify, Maurice escaped and was never captured.**_

_***Reviews are extremely important, so make sure to do so if you wish!**_

_**Hope you all are enjoying the story!**_

_**Will keep you updated**_

_**Happy holidays!**_


	6. Chapter 6: Reckoning

NOTE:** _This is going to be a long chapter, pay attention to some of the details. They'll be important later on in the story._**

**_It was quite tiring re-reading too make sure everything was correct. However there may be a mistake every once in a while that I didn't catch._**

* * *

Chapter 6: Reckoning

…Connection Re-Established…

As the teen entered the facility, he was greeted by a darkly lit figure sitting on a high chair.

"Father's invasion has been commenced." The boy said sheepishly.

"Good, have you delivered the weapons to Father?"

The teen nodded.

"Excellent and how about the scientists, are they finishing the final pieces to our project?"

This time the young adult shook his head.

The owner of the voice emerged from his seat and walked down the stairs to stare face to face with his subordinate.

"No matter, so long as Father distracts those meddlesome brats, we will finish soon enough." The figure responded, looking up at a large circular chamber.

"Exactly what does that thing do?" the young teen asked.

"You'll see soon enough... Aiden, you'll see soon enough…" The figure grinned, knowing something that the boy had long forgotten.

The teen reacted to this name, it sounded so familiar, but so distant at the same time…

* * *

As their ship raced to the carrier in the area, they were greeted by 2x4 fighters and bombers heading towards the opposite direction.

The sky was riddled with anti-aircraft fire, and aircraft from both sides.

Below them, they could see enemy armored divisions advancing on the empty crop fields towards a city and the explosions of enemy shells reigning down on defensive positions.

They couldn't help but feel amazed and horrified at the site that had fallen upon them.

"Looks like hell on Earth…" one of the Russian operatives commented, staring in awe at the ensuing battle below.

Rachel felt guilty for the events that were unfolding below. She began to doubt herself and thought maybe if she was a bit more aggressive towards Global Command, she could have convinced them to do something, or maybe if she wasn't so careless by splitting the group apart, they wouldn't have been caught, or maybe if some else was Commander of the Kids…

She suddenly felt a set of eyes glaring at her.

The leader of Sector V seemed to read her mind.

"Rachel is everything ok?" the owner of the eyes scooted a bit closer towards the broken and guilt ridden blonde girl.

She shook her head, moved away from Nigel and turned her body towards the wall.

"Hey, if you need someone to…"

She began to feel even more censurable. How could anyone even consider talking to her after everything that's happened? In her head, she was the one responsible for the missions' failure and for the outbreak of war.

She couldn't take it anymore, even after everything; Nigel still cared for her.

"Nigel, shut the hell up!" She shouted at the top of her lungs

Everyone on board remained still.

"Rachel I was just…" Nigel stuttered, astonished at what just happened.

"No Nigel, SHUT UP, I don't need your pity. Your too immature to understand what's going on anyway, grow up you idiot."

The bald boy's mood went from one of understanding, to one of immense anger.

"You know Rachel, your right, you don't need my pity. And too immature to understand the circumstances you say? Well I'm not the one shouting and yelling at people who are simply trying to help."

Rachel added more fuel onto the already out of control fire.

"Seriously Numbuh 1, you need to keep your mouth zipped, do I need to order you to stop talking? I will never understand what on earth Lizzie saw in that stubborn head of yours."

Rachel remained silent, she really wished those words hadn't slipped out of her mouth.

Nigel's eye twitched and he immediately twisted away from the girl that he cared so much for.

They sat in total reticence until they landed on the carrier, the battle still violently being fought below them.

* * *

They arrived at the hovering ship, and were instantly greeted by one of the admiral's messengers.

"Supreme Commander Sir! The admiral has been waiting for your arrival, please follow me."

All around them, the deck was bustling with activity; sorties were taking off, fighters were being loaded with munitions and the crew manned the anti – aircraft batteries that were scattered throughout the ship.

Surrounding the ship were two additional carriers and several new Kids Next Door cruisers and frigates. They had combined with the admiral's fleet immediately upon the outbreak of Father's assault.

The task force was hovering right on the coast of France, and was providing close air support to ground forces throughout Europe.

It was 1 of the 5 Gihugacarriers of the Atlantic fleet, and one of the 14 stationed worldwide.

The Atlantic fleet had its hands tied, and news of Fathers navy heading towards the area only thinned their chances of repelling the advancing enemy forces.

The two arrived at the admiral's office.

Meanwhile, Sector V and the other operatives stayed behind on the deck awaiting for further orders.

"Greetings Commander-in-Chief and welcome back Numbuh 1. Please take a seat." The admiral saluted quickly.

"I told you guys it would come to this… Well, what'd you guys discover on your mission?" he sighed while giving commands to the crew through his microphone.

The admiral noticed that the pair seemed to have distanced themselves far more apart from each other than the first time he'd encountered them.

Rachel responded first, but was rudely interrupted by Nigel.

"Well I learned that our Dear Supreme Leader doesn't appreciate a lending hand."

The blonde girl gave off a death stare that nearly made Numbuh 1 curl up in a corner.

"Well I learned that the some people just don't know when to shut up!" nearly yelling at Nigel.

Numbuh 288 was amazed at the tension being built up in the room. Heck, just a few days ago, he thought the two were basically going out. He had to intervene if he wanted them listen to what he had to say.

He raised his hand, and proceeded with a soft but firm voice.

"Um… I don't mean to be rude, but can we all just calm down? There are much more important matters to attend too…" The admiral of the Atlantic fleet suggested.

The two heated leaders eased themselves, and sat back down in their seats.

The admiral brought up a map of Europe that emerged on his office screen. He continued, now seeing that the two had relaxed a bit.

"In the course of the past couple hours; Father's relenting advance has enabled him to capture nearly half of Europe."

Rachel was a bit shocked, she knew the Kids Next Door was ill-prepared, but she didn't think that they would be overwhelmed so quickly.

"His forces are nearly 20 miles away from Paris, if the city is captured, all of Europe would be lost."

Nigel respectively interrupted Numbuh 288. He remembered something he learned in school, probably one of the few things from that wretched place that managed to soak into his brain.

"But what about Britain sir, if I'm not mistaken they held their own during World War 2 and helped in the liberation of Europe from Nazi Germany."

The fleet commander took a deep breath.

"I'm sorry to tell you, but Britain was taken just moments ago…"

The usually brilliant leader of Sector V mellowed down and slouched back into his chair.

His home country was now under the direct rule of Father's tyranny.

Rachel took notice, and became a little sympathetic.

Just moments ago, the two were arguing due to her own frustrations. During the moment she felt the pressure from all the events take a toll on her, causing her to snap at one of her closest friends.

Rachel moved her chair a little closer to Nigel, but then moved back deciding that now was not the right time to try to cheer him up, especially after her outburst.

One of the admiral's messengers entered the doorway to his office.

"Excuse me, but the medic's onboard have informed me that Numbuh 624 has awaken from his coma."

"You two are dismissed, report back to me after you visit your friend." He saluted.

Rachel turned, and immediately got out her seat to follow the messenger to the ship's hospital. As she was about to exit the office, she turned to Nigel, who looked a bit grey.

"Coming Numbuh 1?" Smiled Rachel, causing his face to return back to its normal color.

As they walked down the halls, they could see a large amount of wounded pilots and soldiers coming in from the front just several miles away. From what Rachel could tell, things weren't looking good for the Kids Next Door.

They entered the hospital of the vessel, and were immediately overwhelmed by the large amount of pain and suffering in the room. They looked in horror as they realized that Father's weapons were much more advanced than before, and much more fatal.

One boy, suffering from significant shrapnel wounds to the leg and left shoulder, looked at the blonde girl.

Rachel looked back, unable to comprehend the situation.

The boy managed to bring his right arm up, and saluted his Commander-in-Chief.

She saluted back, touched by the willingness of the boy to acknowledge her despite his crippling wounds.

"This way." The messenger gestured, leading them into the room that contained Numbuh 624.

The two entered the room, gladly leaving the scene that was just behind them.

The sleek boy was already out of his bed, and gladly saluted his superior.

"Why hello Supreme Commander, sorry for my slip up… I'm the one who compromised…" Rachel butted in, putting her hand on his soldier to try to calm him down.

"Don't worry about it, just relax."

Numbuh 624's tension eased up, and Nigel becoming a bit jealous by the attention he was receiving.

Rachel proceeded in a gentle voice. "Now Numbuh 624, do you remember what you observed while on recon by yourself?"

He rubbed his head, and started to remember almost instantly.

"Yeah, actually I do."

The two were listening very intently, as to not to miss a detail.

"Please go on." Rachel said eager to hear what he had to say.

"Well, I saw a couple of figures; they were wearing some strange uniform I've never seen before. They were meeting up with one of Father's commanders to deliver some type of new weapon, a cannon of some sorts…"

"Do you have any idea what type of cannon it is, or what they plan to use it for?" the leader of Sector V said leaning his head.

The boy shrugged, looked down towards the floor and rubbed the back of his head. "No, all I managed to gather was that this weapon would somehow bring a swift victory. I don't see how, I mean they're just cannons and the carriers are managing to keep Father's forces at bay for now…"

Numbuh 624 then looked up to the ceiling, and remembered another important detail.

" Oh yeah! Also, the leader of the other group, was wearing a golden bracelet of some sort… it said "Death Before Dishonor", the same one Numbuh 900 wears… strange isn't it?"

Rachel gasped; the figure with the golden bracelet that Numbuh 624 saw was the same one she had encountered at the breakfast inn in Poland!

She immediately turned to Nigel. "We need to get Numbuh 900 now! That girl knows something and I need find out what now, heck she could be working with the enemy!"

While attempting to exit the hospital to question Numbuh 900, the ship was violently shaken.

"All hands on deck! Enemy fighters are attacking the Fleet. This is not a drill; I repeat this is not a drill!" a voice announced on the intercom.

The two quickly ran to find out what they could do to help defend the ship; Numbuh 900 would have to wait.

* * *

The pair ran to the admiral's office, to get updated on the situation.

"Numbuh 288's what's going on here?!" Rachel said, nearly out of breath from running through the halls.

The admiral was running around his office, frantically shouting orders through the intercom.

Numbuh 288 then diverted his attention to two of the organizations most skilled operatives.

"Several of Father's Teen Ninja fleets are attacking us simultaneously. Other admirals from all over the world are reporting the same thing, this is no random attack, this is coordinated." The admiral frowned, looking at the map of Europe.

Nigel asked. "What do you propose we do admiral?"

"We'll need to throw everything we got at them to defend this ship, we're the only ones blocking Father from conquering all of Europe, and the other carriers nearby have their hands full as well." He added, now determined.

Rachel rubbed the back of her neck a little a little confused. "Ok so what are you suggesting admiral..?"

"Already got you covered there, moments before the attack I sent several dive bombers and fighters equipped with torpedoes to sink the enemy fleet, if we can manage to hold off until they complete their mission, we'll regain control of the English Channel as well as most of the Atlantic Ocean."

"I see." The blonde girl said turning her head towards Nigel.

"Looks like me and you are headed up deck to man the anti – aircraft batteries."

"Wait, what?!" the admiral exclaimed.

Rachel looked a bit bewildered.

The admiral continued. "Are you kidding me?! You're the Supreme Commander of all Kids Next Door forces, and you're going to put yourself in harm's way? That's ridiculous, you're far too valuable."

She looked back; she understood the admiral's point of view. However, she didn't believe it was fair for her to sit back and command from a safe location while the rest of the KND was out fighting risking their lives.

"I'm sorry admiral, but you're going to need all the help you can get."

The admiral sighed, and then looked back up at his superior, her eyes reassuring.

"Understood… Now hurry up before we lose the ship!"

The two immediately ran up on deck and were completely overwhelmed by the sky's that surrounded them.

The sky was covered in black smoke from falling aircraft and damaged ships.

Dogfights could be seen above and below them and flak from the AA batteries nearly blocked out the sun.

"Look out!" Numbuh 4 shouted out.

They quickly moved out of the way as bullets strayed right passed them.

The two quickly got up and ran towards the rest of the team.

"Geeze, you could have been killed by those cruddy bullets."

"I know, I know." Rachel said a bit traumatized by the moment. She hadn't been out in the field for a while so it would take a little for her to get used too. She suddenly remembered that Numbuh 900 should still be with Sector V.

"Where's Numbuh 900?" she demanded to all of Nigel's Sector.

They then pointed towards one of the batteries. She was helping the crew load the thing, something that would be considered out of place due to her choice of combat.

Rachel turned towards Numbuh 1, "well I guess she's setting a good example for the rest of us, I mean she's used to hand to hand combat but even she's helping defend the ship."

Nigel nodded, and they proceeded to head to one of the empty AA batteries.

Meanwhile, Numbuh 789 was already helping with the SAM missile launchers on the ship's deck and Numbuh 222 was helping retrieve ammo.

It was going to be a tough battle, but they needed to win if they wanted any chance of defeating Father.

Nigel and Rachel agreed on their roles; he would spot any enemy aircraft to shoot at, while Rachel fired the battery.

"Are you sure you want to do this?" Nigel whispered to Rachel.

"Yeah I'm sure, besides, why would I want to miss out all the fun?" She smiled back at him.

Nigel smiled back; he was glad that the tension that existed between them just minutes earlier had nearly vanished.

As the two got ready to man the AA gun, several of the crew members around them were dumbfounded, some of them even opening their jaws in astonishment. They were surprised to see the head of the KND, fighting alongside them.

They all stopped what they were doing and saluted.

"What are you guys doing?! Stop wasting time and defend this ship!" She commanded.

They resumed what they were doing and continued to pump tracer bullets and flak into the skies.

"5 o'clock!" Nigel shouted.

Rachel turned her turret and shot at the bomber that was just about to drop its payload on the deck. She hit the bombers fuel tank and it immediately burst into flames, causing it to spiral out of control nearly hitting the ship.

Out of nowhere, a cruiser just to the right of their carrier exploded.

"The Atlantian is hit! It's losing attitude." One of the crew members on deck pointed out

The crew watched in horror as the cruiser began to lose its hovering ability and slowly descended into the ground below.

It served as a constant reminder that they too would suffer the same fate if the ship endured a direct hit..

One of the crew members suddenly shouted at the blonde girl.

"Supreme Leader watch out!" she looked into the sky; a plane had dropped a bomb near her position.

She felt a hand violently pull her out of the turret's chair moments before the bomb completely exploded her entire section.

"Portside of the ship has been hit, I repeat portside of the ship has been hit!" one of the crew on deck radioed in.

Emergency crew immediately poured out of the ship's deck to put out the fire and gather any wounded who survived the blast.

Rachel, a little shocked, look back to the one responsible for saving her.

Nigel was right behind her, gasping for air.

"Close call huh?" he said trying to regain his breath.

"A little to close…" she replied back sheepishly, massaging her shoulder that Nigel nearly dislocated.

The two continued to do whatever they had to do to help defend the ship. Several minutes later the enemy planes stopped bombing and made a 180 degree turn.

"The enemy is retreating!" one of the crew members on one of the batteries pointed out. They looked towards the horizon as they saw hundreds of enemy fighters and bombers report back to their Teen Ninja carriers.

The crew cheered amidst the smoke and debris that surrounded them.

"Numbuh 362 and Numbuh 1, please report to the admiral's office" one the intercoms of the ships deck stated.

They walked down the ship's halls towards the admiral's office, passing groups of shell shocked crew members and pilots.

Upon entering the admiral's office, they were surprised to see the admiral a little bit more joyful.

"Yes admiral what did you want to see us for?" Nigel asked.

The admiral displayed the map on his screen, straightened his uniform and turned back to the two operatives standing before him.

"Not only did we manage to keep our fleet relatively intact, but our bombers also managed to sink most of the enemy's carrier fleet in the area. We now have full control over most of the Atlantic and the English Channel." He said, looking a bit surprised that his plan even succeeded.

But then the admiral's excitement died down, and he took a deep breath and a shot of root beer before he continued.

"Recon reports of several new weapon prototypes designed to shoot a high energy beam into the skies that are capable of downing all of our fleets." He sighed.

"However, we don't believe they are operational at this moment." The admiral finished before taking another shot of root beer.

Rachel began to remember something; Numbuh 624 said something about a new cannon… and something about that cannon bringing the enemy swift victory… It all made sense now!

"Admiral, turn this ship back now! One of my scouts spotted a cannon being delivered to the one of Father's commanders and it appears to be fully functional!"

Numbuh 288 was stumped. "And you know this how…?" he said back suspiciously.

"Just trust me, that's an order!" she commanded.

The admiral reached for his microphone. "All engine crews, reverse the ships…."

A violent explosion rocked the ship. As the admiral looked through his window, he saw a bright energy beam shoot right through one of the carriers causing a massive explosion. He watched in terror as one of the mighty Gihugacarriers split into two.

"Dang, you were right… Numbuh 362 and Numbuh 1, I want you and the rest of the crew to abandon ship, there's nothing we can do about those cannons."

They nodded, "but what about you admiral?"

He turned and fixed his cap. "I'll join you after I warn the rest of the KND navy around the world and make sure all the ship's crew has evacuated."

"Ok, well see you soon." Gestured Rachel.

"Yeah… see you soon Supreme leader… you two take care." The admiral muttered, grabbing the whole bottle of root beer.

The two emerged on deck and approached Sector V while S.C.A.M.P. and aircraft were frantically taking off .

"What happened to the Russian Sector and the rest of the team?" Rachel remembered, adamantly scanning the ship's deck with her eyes.

"They took off a couple minutes ago to the help our forces in the front." Numbuh 5 responded.

"And how about Numbuh 624, wasn't be below deck?"

Kuki stepped out of the crowd. "He made a full recovery and left with Numbuh 789 and 222."

"Never mind that! Did you see that beam completely obliterate that carrier next to us?! How the crud are we going to fight against that!" an Australian accent interrupted.

Wally was in full panic mode, he enjoyed fighting, but only when he had the advantage.

Numbuh 3 cheerfully responded. "Well I got my rainbow monkey of certain doom!"

All the operatives covered their faces with their palms.

"Did you guys see Numbuh 900? I have some important questions for her." Rachel blurted out, hoping that she hadn't left with the rest of the team.

They turned towards the girl who was sitting behind the group.

Rachel quickly walked up towards her, their noises practically touching.

"You… you have some explaining to do."

The girl simply sighed.

"It's too late…"

Rachel thought, what? What did she mean "too late?"

Suddenly, a beam ripped through the middle of the ship, causing the remaining crew to panic and frantically board the S.C.A.M.P. .

Hoagie immediately got onto his ship.

"Hurry! We gotta get outta here before the ship goes down!"

All of Sector V entered, but right when the three other operatives were about to enter, the ship rocked violently, and began to nose dive into the ground.

Numbuh 2 tried to keep the S.C.A.M.P.E.R stable enough for the Numbuh 1, 362, and 900, but had no choice but to take off.

"Numbuh 2 whataya doing?!" yelled Numbuh 5.

"I have no choice! I'm sure they'll find a way out!"

The S.C.A.M.P.E.R zoomed off to join the rest of the fleet in retreat.

"Darn! What are we doing to do now?!" Rachel said, looking towards the horizon watching their only chance of survival zoom in the distance..

Nigel observed his surrounding despite the ship going down at a 90 degree angle.

He noticed a metallic capsule that had been left on the deck by the crew.

"There, it's an escape capsule!" he pointed.

The two didn't question him and immediately followed Nigel towards their only route of escape.

Upon entering, Nigel realized something.

"Um… don't these things only work when being shot out of a launcher at the bottom or side of a ship…?"

Numbuh 900 sighed and Rachel looked at him grudgingly.

"Yes…"

The boy turned his back and looked around to avoid eye contact with his Commander.

"I forgot..."

They suddenly felt the carrier split in half, and the capsule rocketed forward towards the edge of the ship.

"We're not gonna make it!" Rachel yelled, now grabbing onto the hand of Nigel.

For once in his life, Nigel admitted that their chances of survival were slim to none. He had to tell Rachel something important, something he developed deep inside him.

"Hey Rachel, just in case we don't survive I just wanna…"

Suddenly the rockets beneath the capsule engaged and shot down towards the ground below.

All the occupants inside were unable to speak due to the near supersonic speed.

The capsule landed hard, and then everything went black.

The last thing that was visible to them was the Eiffel tower in the distance.

* * *

The operatives woke up, and the door of the capsule immediately sprung open, several figures pulled them out to safety hurriedly dodging stray bullets.

Rachel murmured… "Who are you…?"

One of the figures responded "101st infantry battalion of the Kids Next Door, we got word that you were located in area and rushed to area as fast as possible."

"What… Where's everybody else?"

The private pointed to the other soldiers dragging out her fellow comrades.

She looked around her. Soldiers we're running left and right, and 2x4 tanks were frantically launching shells at the advancing enemy armor. Buildings were collapsing, burying anyone unfortunate enough to be in or underneath them.

Everything suddenly became fuzzy, and the loud explosions and yelling around her begun to sound so distant before she finally passed out.

She was again rudely awakened when a bright light penetrated her eye lids.

Rachel jerked up quickly, and the doctor inspecting her jumped a bit back.

Soldiers immediately entered the tent hospital.

A voice broke out "stand down." A well-decorated boy said entering the tent.

He wore a beret, and a military uniform with a bunch of square ribbons embedded on his right chest. She could make out the writing on his tag which said "Peterson."

"I can't believe you guys don't recognize your own Supreme Leader." He snorted at the two soldiers, who looked a bit ashamed.

"Ah, why hello there Jan!" Rachel greeted, still trying to recover from the capsule's crash.

"Hello to you Supreme Leader." Replied 1885.

The general straitened his stance and saluted.

"At ease general." She signaled.

The boy relaxed his body and sat down in a chair near her.

"Jan Peterson, commander of all allied forces in Europe." She smiled, slowly getting out of the makeshift bed.

"Still doesn't beat your position, Supreme Leader." He teased.

The two operatives go way back, having met at the KND's equivalent of West Point. During that time, they became close colleagues, but they parted their ways when she was recruited into the intelligence and infiltration agency sector.

"Sorry to sound a little rude, but where's the rest of my team?" She said, a bit worried.

"There in the other tents recovering, they'll be awake shortly." He responded, getting up from his chair about to exit the structure.

"I'll let you recover, I'll update you on the situation once you and your team are up to speed." Jan added, before moving the flap of the tent.

"Wait! Can you at least give me an idea about how the front is holding up?"

Numbuh 1885 stood still, and took a deep breath.

"Take a look for yourself outside." The commander said in a soft and depressed voice, exiting her tent.

Rachel stepped outside with Jan, and was almost discouraged by the scene around her. The Commander of all European forces was right.

She witnessed the black smoke blanket the sky as well as the sound of distant artillery shells pounding the Earth. Convoys of KND troop transports and tanks were steaming towards the front, hoping to make one last desperate counter attack.

"What? What on Earth as happened! I thought the enemy was miles away from Paris, how can they already be invading the city?" Rachel nearly blurted out at the Commander.

Numbuh 1885 simply stared at the sky.

"When the carriers were destroyed, the enemy quickly overcame our already strained defenses worldwide."

He then looked at Rachel. "Only 3 out of the 14 carriers stationed worldwide survived! Only 3! Do you have any idea what this means?!"

Jan was on the verge of losing his mind, the pressure of commanding of all forces in Europe was beginning to take a toll on him, and him losing ground only made matters worse.

Jan calmed down, and regained his cool. "All allied armies are taking serious casualties, but refuse to retreat unless you give the order to do so. Anyway, I'll go over everything once your friends wake up, if you need me, I'll be in my office." Jack saluted.

"Where's Nigel and Numbuh 900?" Rachel asked before Numbuh 1885 turned.

He pointed to a tent.

Upon entering the hospital tent, she was startled to see Nigel already waking up.

He saw Rachel and managed to murmur something towards her.

"Are we in heaven…?" he asked dizzily.

"No, actually if I'm not mistaken you're in the middle of a battlefield." She said jokingly.

The boy rubbed his eyes and put on his red sweater that was laying on the counter next to him.

"Figures"

Numbuh 900 was still unconscious, and they decided to let her rest. She was about to enter some serious interrogation once she woke up.

Upon standing out of the hospital bed, Rachel randomly asked Nigel a question.

"Hey Nigel, what were you going to tell me on the capsule…?"

The pretty girl standing in front of him was twirling her hair and trying to avoid eye contact.

Her face was literally several inches away.

"Well, I was…"

Suddenly Numbuh 1885 walked in. "Ah bout time you woke up Numbuh 1!"

The two broke away, Rachel's cheeks almost entirely red.

"Numbuh 1885 sir!" Numbuh 1 quickly saluted.

"You can just call me Jan if you'd like." The commander replied.

"What's the situation like out there?" Nigel asked, now concerned.

Jan frowned, and turned towards Rachel. "Well our Supreme Leader already got a quick look, but I'll inform both of you in detail in my post. Please, follow me."

"What about Numbuh 900?" Rachel asked.

"Let her rest, my staff will alert us when she awakes."

She nodded, and they both followed Jan into his command post.

Upon entering, holograms of army officers requesting for additional support lit up the room, and the massive screens displayed the position of ground forces.

The command post was flooded with activity, communication operators directing artillery barrages and airstrikes, relocating ground troops, and so on.

The commander finally led them into his office.

"Now I bet your wondering what the hell is going on here."

The commander glared at them, and they both nodded instantly.

"Well, like I told Numbuh 362 earlier, the loss of our navy has allowed Father's armies too move at an accelerated rate."

"Is there anything you can do to stop him?" Nigel asked, hoping for some good news.

"No." Jan replied coldly.

"Well then what are we supposed to do?!" Nigel added.

"Hold out and hope for a miracle." He frowned.

"We are trying to hold out, but allied commanders from all over the world are reporting up to a 70% casualty rate."

"How about North America?" Rachel interrupted.

The commander sat in his chair for a bit, and thought about her question.

"North America is being hit pretty hard, but their holding up better than the rest of us. But that's bound to change once Father captures Europe and Asia."

Rachel wasn't surprised; Numbuh 60 was the new commander of forces in North America, related to one of the greatest generals in history.

"How long do you think we'll have if our remaining forces retreat to the Arctic Base?"

"Um, maybe 2 or 3 weeks, however long it takes Father to assemble an invasion force." Jan replied.

"I order all forces of the Kids Next Door to retreat to North America and rendezvous at the Arctic base, from there we'll re-group and re-organize at the Moon Base to plan a counter-attack."

Numbuh 1885 was stunned, and was at a loss of words.

"You… you want us to retreat?" he stuttered.

"Yeah, look we have to face reality, there's no way we'll be able to hold our defensive perimeters at this rate. Get me on screen, I need to make a worldwide announcement."

"Rachel are you sure?" Nigel's stormy eyes now glaring at her.

"Yeah I'm sure…" she sighed.

Rachel sat at a desk, with a KND flag behind her. The camera was now rolling.

All around the world, her image was being broadcasted.

The commanders watched the screen intently, and the soldiers fighting on the front opened up their devices that showed am image of their Supreme Leader.

"This is your Supreme Leader reporting in." she said before briefly pausing.

"I'm sure many of you are fighting on the frontlines as we speak, and I commend you for that. During the past couple of hours, we have seen Father's forces relentlessly and mercilessly attack our bases, our homes, and our friends. Many of you have already witnessed those closest to you die, or get seriously wounded, and you have my condolences." She then paused again, the command post now silent.

"The attack on our navy has left our military crippled and in serious need of repair. I myself was on the flag ship of the Atlantic fleet when it went down, but survived due to the courageous acts those around me. I now ask not for you to continue fighting, or to try to hold positions that you in your head know is already lost, but I now ask for you to retreat to the Artic base." She sighed, and then continued.

"Make no mistake, we are not leaving Earth behind, we would never commit such a cowardly act. We will return, and strike back at Father's forces with lightning speed. Good luck to all of you, see you all at the Arctic Base, your Supreme Leader signing out."

The transmission ended, and Rachel walked towards Nigel.

"Do you feel that I made the right decisions?" her voice sounding weak.

"Only time will tell." Nigel responded. If it's anything he'd learned during this whole ordeal, was that nothing was certain.

One of the commander's messages then ran up to Numbuh 1885 and whispered something in his ear.

Jan diverted his attention towards the two operatives. "Numbuh 900's awake."

They rushed to her tent, Rachel being the first to enter.

"How are you doing Numbuh 900, say I could never quite remember your name, what was it?" she said in a gentle voice.

"Serena." The shallow girl replied back.

"Serena, we have some questions for you."

The girl nodded her head, and Rachel sat in a seat right next to her.

"What do you know of an Arctic facility?"

Suddenly, Rachel could see in girl's deep black eyes she was having flashbacks.

Serena began blinking radically, "I can't tell you."

"Why not?" Rachel said a little impatient.

"There are horrors there that you can't even begin to imagine…" she whispered.

"Like what?!" Rachel yelled, she was getting really annoyed now.

Numbuh 1885 busted through the entrance of the tent.

"Supreme Leader, we need to get you out of here NOW!"

"What the? What's going on?!"

"Several armored and infantry divisions have broken through the city's defenses and are due to arrive at this location in less than 10 minutes!"

Nigel and Rachel grabbed Serena, and put her in the first S.C.A.M.P.E.R that was headed to the Arctic Base. Despite the pleas from the commander and soldiers around her to board first, she resfused to do so.

"Keep a watch on her." She said to several of the infantrymen on board.

The nodded, and the S.C.A.M.P.E.R took off with several others and a fighter escort.

As the two walked off to wait for the next set of evacuation ships to arrive, an enemy tank suddenly busted through one of the buildings.

It's main cannon then aimed at one of the anti-tank guns nearby being loaded. A shell exited the tanks cannon and made a direct hit, causing the operatives manning it to jump to cover.

Behind the tank rushed several of enemy soldiers, now shooting at the defending infantry.

All around them, operatives were being torn to shred by machine gun fire.

The two jumped into a nearby dugout. Nigel then grabbed a rifle and began shooting back. "Rachel stay behind me." He whispered.

"No, how about you give me a pistol?" Nigel was stumped.

"For the second time today, I'm fighting whether you like it or not!" she commanded.

He then handed her a pistol, and they both began firing rounds back at the enemy.

Jan, having separated from them when they loaded Serena onto the S.C.A.M.P.E.R quickly ran to their positions followed by several other soldiers.

"The second wave of S.C.A.M.P. is due in 5 minutes, we'll need to hold them off until then." He announced towards Rachel and Nigel.

All around them enemy shells were landing near their entrenchment and the machine gun fire from the tank bogged them down. To make matters worse Father's soldiers were quickly surrounding their dugout.

"Do something about the machine gunner on top of that tank!" Yelled one of the operatives.

Rachel then looked out to take a shot at the tank's gunner.

Nigel pushed her out of the way and a bullet suddenly grazed her cheek, causing a small gash.

"Are you ok Rachel?!" he shouted, taking out the machine gun on top of the enemy tank.

Trying to shrug off her near death experience she replied back.

"Yeah, thanks Nigel." She said wiping the small amount of blood on her cheek.

"The S.C.A.M.P.E.R are less than 1 minute out! Do something about that tank or we're not gonna make it out of here alive!" Numbuh 1885 shouted frantically, loading his rifle.

"We can't sir, we have no anti-tank weapons." Replied one of his Sergeants.

Numbuh 1885 then sighed, and looked at the S.C.A.M.P.E.R just 20 seconds out about to land.

"I guess I have no choice then, I'll distract them, along with any volunteers. Numbuh 1 and Numbuh 362, you two get out on the last ship outta here."

Instantly, all the remaining operatives raised their hands. Jan's kindness and courageousness gained the loyalty of his soldiers, and they would fight to the end with him no matter what.

"No, none of us get left behind!" Rachel yelled.

"In war, sacrifices must be made." Putting a bayonet on his rifle.

"Now go! The S.C.A.M.P.E.R is waiting!"

Rachel was reluctant to leave, but finally accepted his request.

"Thanks Jan." the blonde girl then put her hand on his shoulder before running off with Nigel.

Jan shouted one last thing to the two before they entered the S.C.A.M.P.E.R causing them to stop.

"Aye Nigel! Take care of Rachel, she's a keeper!"

Nigel blushed. He thought, was it that obvious?

As the two boarded the ship, they watched Numbuh 1885 prepare to charge at the enemy, World War 1 style. The ship then took off, and they quickly glanced in terror as they saw the general and his soldiers charge at the enemy, being mowed down by the enemy tank and machine gun fire. They didn't stand a chance.

They now raced towards North America. Having witnessed the horrors of war, Rachel began thinking to herself.

"Hey Nigel, think we'll be able to put an end to this war…?" Rachel said, now extremely depressed. The war was more violent than she could have ever imagined.

The boy responded back, comprehending all of the day's experiences.

"I hope so…"

TRANSMISSION INTERRUPTED

* * *

_**Things are starting to get a little more interesting :P, I'll try to update as soon as possible. I've been extremely busy due family and the holidays.**_

**Remember to review and follow!**

**NOTE**** (1/2/2013): I'll be going on a cruise this weekend (starting Friday), and will be unable to update for the rest of this week. **

**However, story still continues, just may take a bit longer to update.**

**Thanks!**


	7. Chapter 7: Exodus

Chapter 7: Exodus

…Connection Re-Established…

It was nightfall, and their ship zoomed over the Atlantic Ocean towards North America to rendezvous with Numbuh 60.

From there, they would have to voyage down South in the safety of one of the surviving carriers to Antarctica, the location of the Arctic base.

In both North and South America, the Kids Next Door managed to hold up against Father's forces, but it was only a matter of time before both continents fell under his tyranny.

It was their only option if they had any chance of escaping to the Moon Base.

"Things are looking pretty gloomy aren't they?" Rachel said to Nigel.

The boy looked up, still looking confident as ever.

"They may look like that now, but things will start to brighten up, you'll see." He responded back.

She could never quite understand how he could remain so positive even in the most desperate of situations.

During the first half of the trip they both didn't realize that both of them scooted a bit closer to each other, their arms basically touching.

Rachel noticed, and slowly put her head on his shoulder while slouching back in her seat.

Nigel almost jumped, but gradually relaxed.

"Hey Nigel." She said in a soft and sleepy voice.

"Yes Rachel?"

Nigel suddenly felt a warm hand gently interlock with his. It felt so intimate, and her hand seemed like a perfect match with his.

"There's no pillow or anything on this bucket of bolts, mind if I sleep on your shoulder? I mean if that's ok with you." She turned and glared up into his shades.

"Of course it is."

He looked down at her and she smiled, quickly falling asleep.

"Good night Rachel." He said getting one last good look at her before entering the deep bowels of his unconsciousness.

The S.C.A.M.P.E.R arrived in Washington D.C at 7 o'clock in the morning.

Nigel woke up first, and surprisingly found Rachel's head resting on his chest.

"Hey Rachel." He whispered gently.

The blonde girl slowly woke up, and looked up to Nigel.

"Yeah…?" She said, still tired.

"We're here in D.C."

Rachel perked up. "Oh snap! How long have we been here?"

"We just got here Rachel." He said rolling his eyes.

"Oh." She said feeling a little foolish.

They exited the ship and were immediately greeted by Patton, Commander of the North American forces.

"Attention!" he announced to all the soldiers present.

"At ease Numbuh 60, glad to see you."

Numbuh 60 then broke back into his normal stature and walked beside the side of Rachel.

"And glad to see you too Supreme Leader, we were all afraid you wouldn't make it."

Rachel then smirked. "Well I had some help on the way." She winked at Nigel.

Rachel was astonished to find that the city remained relatively intact, aside from the occasional burning Teen Ninja fighter that had been shot down or bullet holes that marked some of the buildings.

"Looks like you guys are holding up pretty well." She turned to Patton.

"Yeah… but we won't last long, Father's invasion force is already on the way, and the West Coast has already been taken." He responded, putting his hands in his pocket as he looked down at his feet.

"What the? I thought it would take him at least a few weeks?!"

"Unfortunately he steam rolled right over Asia, and took full control of the Pacific. Our forces are already packed up and ready to head to the Arctic base. We'll meet up with the carrier in the Gulf of Mexico." He responded.

"Good, what about the rest of the KND?" Rachel questioned.

"Most are already at the Arctic base, including the remainder of our navy. However, pockets of resistance remain in Father's captured territories, and key assets are still being defended."

The situation seemed to have some somewhat good news for once. She was glad to hear that most of the KND was already waiting for their arrival at the Arctic base, but she wasn't so thrilled hearing that some of their forces would remain on Earth.

"The transports are already waiting for us, let's head their now." Numbuh 60 interrupted.

Nigel, Patton, and Rachel all boarded the ship.

"Hey how's the Moon Base holding up?" Rachel asked.

"Still untouched, apparently Numbuh 86 is still yelling at all the boy operatives blaming them for our loses." He laughed a bit.

Rachel giggled a bit too, her closest friend Fanny always acted the same, regardless if there was a war or not.

Nigel interrupted their conversation. "How long will it take us to get to the fleet in the Gulf?"

"Three hours. Relax, everything's under control." Assured Numbuh 60.

Rachel looked around them, and witnessed several hundred KND S.C.A.M.P. , transports and fighter escorts zooming to the Gulf.

"Aren't we a target for Teen Ninja fighters…?"

"Naw, the air space is under control, in fact I don't even know why we have fighter escorts." Patton interjected, a little overconfident.

The first hour of the flight was uneventful, and all three operatives as well as the soldiers in the transport remained quiet.

Suddenly, they heard a loud explosion outside, and saw several Kids Next Door ships ablaze into the ground below.

They saw dozens of Teen Ninja fighters shoot pass the front of their transport.

Numbuh 60 immediately questioned the pilot of the ship.

"What the hell is going on here?! I thought the air space was under control!"

"Several Teen Ninja fighters managed to break through our remaining defenses." The pilot responded.

"Where are our fighter escorts?!" he yelled.

Their ship violently shook as bullet's hit from behind.

Nigel grabbed a hold of Rachel, keeping her in place.

"Boogie on our tail! Requesting immediate assistance!" the pilot shouted frantically into the ships radio.

"Negative, we have our hands full." Replied one of the escort leaders.

"Evasive action!" shouted Numbuh 60.

The ship banked to the right, barley dodging the bullets of the Teen Ninja fighter on their tail.

"We barely missed that one…. THEY GOT A LOCK ON US!" the pilot yelled at the top of us lungs.

Suddenly, the enemy fighter locking onto them exploded in midair.

"Who the hell saved our asses?" Patton said to the pilot.

Nigel looked out the ship and immediately recognized the aircraft that had come to their aid.

It was the Kid, the same person who was able to shoot Numbuh 2 out of the skies over a dozen times.

The Kid pulled up to the side of the S.C.A.M.P.E.R saluted, and immediately zoomed off to deal with the other enemy fighters.

"Dang, look at him go." Patton muttered to himself.

He shot down all the enemy fighters nearly single-handedly before flying back into the horizon.

"How come he never joined the Kids Next Door, he's a better pilot than Numbuh 2!" Rachel said, both excited and relieved they were saved.

Nigel responded, trying to remember Numbuh 2's story about the ace.

"I don't know much about him, but according to Numbuh 2 he acts alone, only helping those he feels are doing the right thing."

Rachel nodded "I see, well I'll be sure to thank him after this war is over."

The rest of the trip was uneventful, for the skies were now clear. The most activity in the ship included the snoring of the other soldiers, and Numbuh 60 communicating with air traffic control.

They finally landed on one of three carriers that survived the energy blasts. The lone carrier named the "The Ravager" was surrounded by retreating cruisers and frigates, as well as cargo ships, which contained troops, vehicels, and supplies. Two famed battleships also guarded the ship, their massive cannons ready to fire below and above them.

Upon exiting the S.C.A.M.P.E.R, they were hurriedly greeted by the only surviving admiral, Numbuh 1942.

The admiral wore the same ones Numbuh 288 wore, give or take a few more medals.

"Welcome to the Ravager Supreme Leader." He greeted Rachel, saluting her.

He then turned to Numbuh 1, and shook his hand. "Oh and the legendary Numbuh 1, now that's shocking, two of the KND's most legendary operatives on my deck."

"Erm, sorry to be a bit rude, but what's your name exactly admiral?"

"Just call me Chester." He smirked, gesturing them to follow them into the carrier's hull.

The carrier appeared to be a tad newer than the one in the Atlantic fleet.

This one had polished halls, and the defense systems were controlled by a central computer, opposed to the older models which required manual labor from the crew.

"Ship's a beauty ain't she? Equipped with the latest defense systems, engines, and computers. Sad to see that the oldest and most fabled carrier in our possession sunk a little over a day ago, their admiral along with it…" Chester frowned.

"Yeah… were you friends with Numbuh 288?" Rachel replied back, hoping that the question wouldn't offend him.

"Of course we were! I was friends with all the admirals, it's sad to realize that I'm the last one alive."

"I see… guess everyone's lost someone in this war." Rachel thought to herself.

Numbuh 1942 directed them into their quarters; Numbuh 362 got the ship's suite, while Numbuh 1 would be in a small sailors quarters right across.

"Are you freakin' kidding me?!" Nigel exclaimed; his room was half the size of a walk in closet, and the bunk beds looked like they were made out of pure steel.

Rachel laughed, and teased him a bit.

"Hey Nigel, how's your room? Comfortable ain't it?"

Nigel became a bit irritated. "Well how's your room princess?"

Rachel yelled back. "It's actually really nice! I got my own bathroom, and everything! Being Supreme Leader sure does have it perks at times."

Nigel grumbled in silence, and Rachel took note.

"Hey Nigel, if you want I can order Numbuh 1942 to…"

"It's ok Rachel, say let's head to the mess hall, I'm getting pretty hungry."

"Ok meet ya' outside my room." She said back, meeting him in the hallway that separated their two rooms.

They headed to the mess hall, which was surprisingly empty.

Rachel whispered to Nigel. "I expected this place to be a bit more crowded, especially since their serving meatball sandwiches!"

A pilot sitting in one of the other tables responded, shocking both kids.

"Yeah, this is the most crowded it gets; most of us are either shot down or out doing a mission."

"What about the crew?" Rachel questioned.

"Kiddin' me? Most of the ship's crew is too busy worrying about one of those energy beam cannons blasting this ship out of the sky."

"What about you then? How come you're not out doing a mission." Interrupted Nigel, crossing his arms.

"I would if I could, sad to tell you my aircraft was damaged and is in the hanger getting repaired. Anyway, I'll be going back to my room." He saluted Rachel and Nigel, and left.

"Well that was weird." Rachel said to Nigel after they got their trays.

"Eh, not really, he's just a pilot doing his job. Sometimes talking to people keeps them sane."

Rachel shrugged. "I guess."

The two ate their sandwiches, having random conversations, ranging from Yipper all the way to the latest battle reports.

"Hey Nigel, want to go on the ships balcony in the back of the hanger? I really want to see the sunset."

"Um sure, whatever you want Rachel."

The two entered the busy hangar, and walked towards the back of the carrier where the opening was located.

"It's so beautiful." Rachel said mesmerized by the sunset.

"Yeah, it is…" Nigel murmured, looking at Rachel.

Her face seemed to be lit up by the sun, and her brown eyes illuminated a brighter color.

She turned to Nigel, sensing his glare.

"You ever wish you could just leave all of this behind, away from all this senseless fighting?

Nigel was stumped by the question, he was unsure how to answer.

"Sometimes, but someone has to do it."

"Yeah… I guess you're right, I'm just tired of all this Nigel and I know you are too."

Rachel got a bit closer, and gazed up towards the now darkening sky.

"People are losing the ones they care about the most all around us… I just… I just don't want to…" Rachel felt a tear develop at the thought of losing the boy that stood before her.

"I just don't want to lose you Nigel; you mean a lot to me, you're my closest friend, and probably the only person who knows me inside and out." She finished, barely holding back tears that begged to pour out.

She abruptly felt a pair of arms slowly embrace her into a hug.

"Hey, don't worry about it Rachel. I'll always be there for you."

Comforted by Nigel's words, she held him tighter in her arms before finally letting go.

"Thanks Nigel, I really appreciate it. Well, I'll be going back to my cabin, see you tomorrow soldier." Her gentle voice being picked up by Nigel's ears.

"Anytime Rachel" Nigel responded before she walked off.

* * *

The next day, Rachel was awoken by the ship's loud horn. She fell out of bed and then proceeded to get up. As she recovered from her fall and stretched, she heard someone knock on the door of her cabin.

Rachel slowly opened the door squinting her eyes to see who it was.

"Oh hey Nigel"

"Morning Rachel, we arrived at the Arctic base. Did you get a good night's sleep?"

"Sorta." She responded.

"Well get ready, Numbuh 60 and several other commanders awaiting for your arrival already at base."

"Ugh, so early in the morning? Fine." Rachel closed her door and immediately put on her typical outfit as Supreme Leader.

She met up with Nigel who was waiting right outside her cabin.

"Say, since you seemed to be awake this whole time, did Numbuh 900 make it here safely?"

"Yeah, she's under close watch though." Nigel responded

As they got out of the ship, they were astounded to see a still massive force around the base, waiting for further orders.

The other two carriers, the Hokagi, and the Miranda also docked near the Arctic base, preparing to orbit in space when the full retreat order was given.

The two entered the command center situated near the top of tree house. Upon entering, they were greeted by Numbuh 60.

"Feels good to be back here, almost gives me a sense of nostalgia." He greeted.

"Anyway, let's talk about some more pressing concerns."

He led them to a small office, where several other commanders awaited.

Upon entering the room, all the operatives present got out of their seats and saluted Rachel.

"At Ease everyone." she responded, gesturing for everyone in the room to take their seats

Numbuh 60 then walked to the front of the table.

"About 80% of our remaining forces are already here at the Arctic Base, but we will have to hold off until the rest of them can make it. As soon as this happens, we will proceed with the Supreme leaders plan and retreat to the Moon Base to regroup and reorganize."

One commander rudely interrupted. "Why on earth retreat here than retreat again? Why don't we just make a counter offensive now, we have enough forces to do it."

Rachel responded.

"No we don't, not nearly enough to beat back Fathers armies. Our only option is to retreat to the Moon Base so we can rebuild our military."

"Well then, why don't we just do that while we attack right now?"

Rachel was getting a bit aggravated by the ill-mannered commander.

"Well, mister know it all, if we do your strategy and lose everything, what's there to defend the Moon Base? Who will defend the space ports and factories huh? Tell me please."

The commander than sat back down, feeling stupid and humiliated.

"Good, now that everything is clear, you all have your orders. Return back to your posts and strengthen the bases defensive perimeters."

As the commanders dismissed, she walked up to Numbuh 60.

"Where's Serena?"

"She's in the training bay, but don't worry she's under guard."

"Thanks"

Nigel and Rachel paced to the training bay located in the deep underground portions of the base.

"What do you guys want this time?" Serena snorted.

"That's no way to address your Supreme Leader." Commanded Rachel, not pleased on how the brown haired girl greeted her.

"Whatever." She said before hitting a punching bag

"You're going to need to tell us everything you." Nigel added.

The girl looked back.

"About that stupid Arctic facility huh?"

"Yep" Rachel said back.

"I don't feel like talking about it right now." Serena than walked away exiting the room.

Nigel restrained Rachel from chasing her.

"Let her go, what ever happened to her on that mission apparently traumatized her, she'll talk when she's ready."

"I guess." She said, calming down.

The alert sirens of the base suddenly went off.

"Attention all personal, report to battle stations. We are under attack, I repeat we are under attack, this is not a drill.

"Guess Father's forces are due a little more early than we thought." Rachel sighed.

They entered the main lobby of the base, and saw operatives rushing outside to take defensive positions.

Numbuh 60 approached them quickly, brushing off operatives that got in his way.

"Numbuh 362, the commanders are awaiting further orders."

"Tell them I order for them to defend the Arctic Base while rest of our forces retreat."

Patton nodded, and immediately ran to give out the order.

"Numbuh 1!" a familiar voice shouted.

It was Numbuh 2 and the rest of Sector V, they were amongst the first to arrive at the base.

"We thought you didn't make it." Numbuh 3 rushed up and gave him a hug.

"Well looks like I did" he grinned.

"Can't wait to kick some cruddy adult villain but!" Numbuh 4 interrupted

Rachel felt a little bit ignored, but understood that Nigel was happy to be reunited with his Sector.

"Hey take command of some of the defenses outside with your sector. I'll be up at the command post, let me know if you need me.

All of Sector V remained quiet, but had a sudden outburst the minute Rachel was out of sight.

"Ooo! Numbuh 362 got a thing for Numbuh 1!" Abby teased.

"Ugh, whatever guys, are we going to defend this base or what?" Nigel said, half blushing.

They arrived at one of the entrenchments just outside the base.

Around them, transports were scurrying into space towards the Moon Base, and all of the carriers already took off into orbit.

"The quicker our guys retreat, the quicker we get out of here." Numbuh 1 murmured to himself.

"Enemy tanks approaching!" a tower near them reported.

Nigel looked out through his binoculars, and saw several armored divisions approaching the Arctic Base.

The artillery batteries were awaiting orders.

Nigel waited for the tanks to be in range of their cannons.

"Steady… Steady… FIRE!"

The sound of shells pounded the ground, and vaporized the first wave of enemy tanks.

Victory was short lived, and several seconds' later Teen Ninja bombers knocked out their artillery positions. Soon after enemy infantry and armored vehicles charged their defensive emplacements, quickly overrunning several machine gun nests.

Numbuh 1 shouted through his communicator.

"Numbuh 2! Get those anti-tank guns running! The rest of you guys, hold defensive positions until we are given the final order to retreat. Kids Next Door battle stations!"

Shorty after, several enemy soldiers entered Nigel's positions, and he quickly made short work of them, knocking them out using his own hands.

As he got out of his dugout, their defenses seemed to be holding out, now that Numbuh 2 repaired the anti-tank guns.

His sector was fighting in the trenches in front of him, quickly overcoming any enemy soldiers that tried to take them out.

"This is too easy!" Shouted Numbuh 4, taking out an enemy soldier trying to flank him.

The other operatives all seemed to fare well against the enemy advancement, and managed to hold on to several key defensive areas.

Suddenly, an influx of enemy reinforcements parachuted right on top of them, quickly subduing most of the remaining operatives.

"Fall back everyone fall back!" He yelled into the radio.

He then pointed to his Sector.

"I want you guys to take off on the next shuttle out of here!"

"But what about you?!" Numbuh 5 yelled.

"Don't worry about me, I need to report to Rachel!"

Numbuh 5 nodded, and the rest of Sector V retreated into the Arctic Base.

Nigel ran through some of the trenches, avoiding stray bullet fire from both sides as well as artillery shells.

He entered the Base, and immediately ran towards Rachel's location

TRANSMISSION INTERRUPTED


	8. Chapter 8: Unspoken Truths

_**Been a busy for me latley. I'm starting spring semester in college so updates may come a little bit slower than usual, but most likely not by much.**_

_**Anyway here's the next Chapter, make sure to pay CLOSE ATTENTION and read this one carefully.**_

_**Hope you guys are enjoying the story!**_

* * *

Chapter 8: Unspoken Truths

...Connection Re-Established...

"The Kids Next Door are in disarray are now in full retreat to the Moon Base, I expect you to fulfill your part of the bargain once this is over."

Father glared at a screen showing a shadowed out face of another person.

"Excellent, what about the girl I told you about?" the face replied.

"She's in the Arctic Base I believe, what does she matter to you anyway?"

"Oh, let's just say she managed to escape one of my… experiments…." The figure grinned widely.

* * *

***Present Day***

…_As the remnants of the KND are in full retreat to the Moon Base, Father's forces continue to advance closer and closer to the Arctic Base, the KND's last stronghold on Earth..._

A frantic Nigel runs at full speed to the command post, signaling operatives nearby to abandon their defensive positions and report immediately to the main dock.

"Rachel, we need to pull back and regroup on the Moon Base, Father's armies are advancing at an alarming rate, and we are sustaining heavy casualties". Upon hearing this report, she sighed, putting her hands on a desk containing a map showing the positions of ally forces that still remained on Earth.

"Nigel, this war has escalated for far too long and has produced nothing but unimaginable suffering and loss, I hear reports of soldiers surrendering their posts all over the world, even going so far as abandoning them all together. The news of our seemingly imminent defeat is causing many to lose hope".

Rachel took a breath once more and began to look down at her feet.

"And it's partly my fault. I ignored all the early warnings, and have failed miserably as a Supreme Leader."

Nigel stared at his commander, he hadn't seen her in this much doubt since the I.T incident. He then took a deep breath and proceeded to respond in a soft and uplifting voice.

"You're a great leader and we need you more than ever. There's still a chance we can win this war, kids all over the world are depending on you"

Rachel looked up and gazed directly at Nigel. She always admired the way he somehow seemed to bring other people's spirits up, even her own.

"Thanks Nigel… I just hope you're right."

The back of the command post suddenly erupted into flames, and the guards in the room immediately pointed their guns at the newly created entrance.

Several seconds later, bullets emerged from the cloud of dust, taking out of most of the guards. The rain of bullets was followed by several figures wearing black robes and gas masks that were combined with their helmets, as well as military grade armor. On their armbands, the Earth with an eye in the middle could be seen.

One of the guards ran towards Rachel.

"Supreme Leader please get…."

A sword went right through the guard, and Rachel and Nigel stood there in disbelief.

"Well, well, well, look who we have here, if it isn't the Supreme Commander of the famous Kids Next Door." The teen that stabbed the guard said.

He wore a tightly kept grey uniform and a grey officer hat that had the same insignia that Numbuh 624 described. Rachel also spotted a golden bracelet on his wrist.

It was indeed, the same figure she'd heard about and encountered herself.

"Who the hell are you?" Nigel shouted, aiming a M.U.S.K.E.T at the stranger.

"Please, just address me as "Chamenos." The teen responded.

"Are you aware of a Serena Teramaine, code number 900?" Chamenos added.

"If we did, we'll never tell you." Nigel stated boldly, now on the verge of pulling trigger of his M.U.S.K.E.T

Chamenos sighed, and turned back to join his men.

"Well then, it was nice meeting you two famous operatives, but now it is time to say good bye."

He then signaled his men to fire their guns.

Suddenly and without warning, several darts pierced the armor of some of Chamenos' soldiers, killing them instantly.

A short girl suddenly dropped from the ceiling, killing most of the unknown enemy soldiers with two 2x4 hand guns and a samurai styled sword.

"Well, who is this may I ask?" the teen stated, unaffected by the casualties around him.

Chamenos looked at her bracelet; it was the same one he was wearing.

"Where… where did you get that?" he stood in utter disbelief, letting his guard down in the process. A long suppressed memory suddenly entered his head.

Serena looked up at the teen, and taking note of his vulnerability ran straight towards him.

"I'm sorry." Serena whispered before she knocked him out cold with her bare fists.

Rachel and Nigel stared at Serena in shock.

"Well are you two just going to stand there? The last ship leaves in 5 minutes!"

The three quickly ran down the halls that lead to the main dock, fighting Father's soldiers who now managed to get into the base on the way.

"Who the hell were those people?" questioned Rachel while running down the hall dodging bullets.

"No time, I'll explain everything on the Moon Base, I promise."

Rachel nodded, accepting that now wasn't the most appropriate time to have a conversation.

"Look ahead! The entrance to the main dock is just twenty feet away!" Nigel pointed, making sure Rachel and Serena were keeping up with him.

"I'm surprised I still haven't gotten used these types of situations." Muttered Rachel, as all three of them ran through the entrance of the main dock.

As they entered, a lone S.C.A.M.P.E.R and several operatives hiding behind cover were awaiting, firing back at enemy soldiers.

"About time you showed up!" Numbuh 60 shouted, waiting at the ship's entrance.

"Numbuh 1!" Kuki yelled, along with the rest of Sector V.

"What the?! I thought I told you guys to leave on the next flight out!"

"You really think we'd just leave you like that?" Numbuh 5 stated.

"And Numbuh 60 what are you still doing here?! I thought you retreated with everyone else!" Rachel exclaimed, surprised that one of the most important commanders of the KND was in the middle of a fire fight.

"You'd be the one to say that Supreme Leader." He teased and helped the three of them on board.

"The rest of you guys! Get on the ship, we're out of here!"

Sector V and the other infantrymen quickly boarded the S.C.A.M.P.E.R while firing back at Father's approaching soldiers.

"Get us out of here Numbuh 2!" Patton shouted.

"Hear you loud and clear boss." Numbuh 2 then pushed the ships throttle, launching them out of the hangar's exit.

Several anti-air gun emplacements awaiting near the hangar fired at them, but had no effect.

The ship zoomed up into orbit along with the rest of the Kids Next Door.

"Close call." Serena muttered to herself.

"Yeah…" Rachel responded back, regaining her breath.

"Don't forget that you have some explaining to do once we reach the Moon Base."

"Yeah, I know." Serena said back, now gazing at the world below.

Shortly after, they neared the Moon Base they were greeted by several space fighter patrols.

"State your code name S.C.A.M.P.E.R" the squadron leader transmissioned to Numbuh 2's radio.

"This is Numbuh 2 of Sector V, I have several operatives onboard, including the Supreme Leader herself."

"Hear you loud and clear Numbuh 2, permission to enter Moon Base orbital space granted."

The fighters then zoomed off to their regular patrol.

As they neared the Base all the operatives turned to look out through the S.C.A.M.P.E.R's window.

The Moon's space ports were repairing damaged cruisers and retrofitting previously decommissioned Gihugeacarriers as well as other ships.

During the short lived peace after the Grand Father incident, the Kids Next Door believed that the age of large scale warfare was now over, and that they no longer needed to maintain a large navy. This led to the creation of several "ghost fleets" which a waited in Earth's orbit near the Moon just in case their services were required again.

Now was the time to re-commission those fleets, which composed of 100's if not 1000's of ships.

"Never would've thought we'd need those fleets again." Rachel thought to herself as they entered into the Moon Base's main dock.

They were welcomed by Numbuh 86, still shouting at everyone in sight.

"Supreme Leader Sir!" She saluted.

"What's the status report Numbuh 86?" Rachel responded, hoping that the Moon Base wasn't already falling apart during her absence.

"All three remainin' carriers are reportin' in, and the rest of the KND seems to be her' as well."

"Good." Rachel said.

Nigel then walked out with Numbuh 900, Patton and the rest of Sector V following close behind.

"Well looks like I'll be going back to commanding some of the troops. " Patton waved before walking off.

The rest of Sector V also broke off, with Numbuh 2 going to the repair bay, Numbuh 4 manning the defenses, and Numbuh 3 going to the medic's bay to help treat any wounded operatives.

"Guess Numbuh 5 will leave y'all behind, probably some top secret stuff you bouta discuss anyway. See ya in a bit Numbuh 1, and you too Numbuh 362."

She looked at Numbuh 362 then winked at Numbuh 1.

"Ugh! When this is over Numbuh 5 I swear…"

Suddenly he heard someone giggle, it was Rachel.

"What's so funny?!"

"Nothing." Rachel said in an adorable voice.

Straightening her thoughts, she turned her attention to Numbuh 900.

"Fanny, assign some of your guards to stay posted around the interrogation room while me and Nigel question her. If she manages to escape, I want you to capture her and put her under immediate decommissioning."

Fanny grinned. "Of course, Numbuh 362 sir."

The two entered a large room. In the middle of the room a table and several chairs were present.

"Serena take a seat." Rachel commanded.

Nigel leaned in the corner of the room, keeping a constant watch on her.

As all three of them got situated, Rachel began her interrogation.

"Explain to me, why was your team assigned to destroy a facility in the Arctic?"

Serena hesitated, but then began to answer.

"You want the long or short story?" Serena slouched in her seat.

"I want to know all the details."

"Fine" the brown hair girl straitened her body on the seat and began to talk.

"A little over a year ago a right-wing extremist group known as the "The Hasayans" branched up within the Kids Next Door in secret.

"What do they have to do with anything?" Rachel pounded her fists impatiently on the table

"Let me finish." Muttered Serena.

"Well, this group was committed to the total indoctrination of children all over the world, and eventually hoped to do the same to the adults. They believed in total subordination of the human race, starting with children."

"Why children?" questioned Rachel.

"Children's minds are much more susceptible to manipulation, and at a young age have no concept of moral's or value's.

"I see, continue." Gestured Rachel.

"Well despite this group being a super minority within the Kids Next Door due to their radical views, they managed to gain support from several scientists within our ranks and began to experiment in total secrecy."

"Wait, so basically what your telling me is that a group of extremists managed to branch up in this organization out of plain sight the same time I became Supreme Leader?!"

"Pretty much."

Rachel was furious, she'd never heard of such developments. She looked back at Nigel who shrugged.

"Why wasn't I informed of this, I'm the Commander-in-Chief of this establishment for Pete Sake."

"That you are, but Global Command thought it best if they could cover this whole fiasco up. This is where I and my team come in." Serena was on the verge to continue before Rachel put her hand up and asked another question.

"Ok, well now before we continue on that subject, who was that boy who was wearing the same golden bracelet as you? Rachel asked eyes now focused on the girl.

The short girl paused, and looked at her bracelet. Deep inside her painful old memories began to conjure up.

"His… His name was Aiden, code number 313."

"What sector?" Rachel asked.

"We weren't really a sector, but rather a group of elite operatives, you should know."

"Oh, you're part of S.R.S.S.T huh?"

Serena nodded.

Nigel interrupted, "Uh, excuse me but what exactly does that stand for?"

"Special Retrieval and Surgical Strike Team, their purpose is to partake in black operations or missions that are otherwise deemed too dangerous for regular operatives."

"Oh, let me guess, kind of a secret branch of the Kids Next Door like the TND right?" he responded back.

"Sorta." Rachel continued.

"The S.R.S.S.T is well-known, but most of the missions they participate in are top secret and are known only by a select few including myself. The TND works in the same way, except they are more recon and espionage and are unknown to most operatives.

"I see." Nigel rubbed his chin.

"Were Numbuh 789, Numbuh 222, and Numbuh 624 part of this group?" Nigel added.

Rachel nodded. "Anyway, enough side tracking, please continue Serena. We were talking about that boy wearing the bracelet."

Serena took a deep breath.

"Well… me and him, Aiden were close friend, everyone in S.R.S.S.T thought we were practically going out. When we were on missions we always looked out for each other, he had my back and I had his. He believed in honor and honesty and was always very keen on committing himself to the organization, not much different than you Supreme Leader." She paused.

"Deep down inside, me and him always had feelings for each other, and I took it upon myself that one day I'd tell him… sadly that day never came.

"What exactly happened?" Rachel asked eagerly.

"We were assigned to a mission. The task was simple, destroy the base and neutralize all occupants inside. We were briefed that the security was high, but nothing we couldn't handle." She sighed, everything became so vivid again, like what she experienced happened just yesterday.

"Me and Aiden and a team of four other operatives infiltrated the facility. At first everything was going as planned, we managed to get in undetected as well as snuff out the scientists… Suddenly right when we were beginning to plant the explosives on the foundation of the structure, we were ambushed by a group of men bearing the same uniforms you two encountered."

"What happened next?" Rachel questioned, trying to get to the bottom of everything once and for all.

"The four other operatives were severely wounded or killed, me and Aiden were captured."

Suddenly Serena felt like a dagger stabbed her right in the heart.

"We were brought to a large room, with a large circular chamber in the middle. As we kneeled down our arms bind behind our backs, we were greeted by a young teen; he called himself "Leader". He wore a jet black uniform with a medal of the Earth with an eye in the middle under a long black robe. He was the one behind everything and head of the Hasayans."

She took a deep breath, and the girl entered a deep flashback. The next part she could remember was full of pain and heartbreak.

"He wanted us to play some sick game of his, and whoever won would be allowed to leave while the other would be doomed to be experimented on using that cold machine of his."

"Machine? What did it do? And what game?" Rachel interrupted.

"It was a new invention that he and the traitorous scientists worked on. Unlike Delightfulization converters, which made one an empty shell and soulless, this one was much more sinister. This chamber, suppressed the memories of an individual, and allowed the person in control to insert any mental or physical ability he so chose, whether it be super strength, intelligence, and so on. It also gave the individual the ability to somewhat think on their own, while still being under the control of the master, making them much more dangerous than delightfulized children."

Serena continued, emotions began pouring out of her.

"And as for the game, it involved two people playing a game of cards, whoever managed to draw an Ace first won. In essence our lives were hanging on a single thread of luck."

"And you won huh…?" Rachel stated, now feeling Serena's emotions in the room.

A tear slowly fell from Serena's face, proceeded by a couple more.

"No… he won."

Serena began stuttering.

"I was scared, I didn't know what to do. About several seconds later, as Hasayan soldiers were about to throw me into the chamber Aiden spoke up. He said he'd take my place instead. As soon as Leader heard this, he laughed, the most coldest and hellish laugh I've ever heard in my life. I begged Aiden that he should let me go instead, but he refused. Leader then commanded his guards to put me down and instead put Aiden in the chamber…"

Tears flooded out of Serena's eyes.

"After he put him in the chamber I witnessed a bright light emerge from the windows. The entrance to the chamber opened and I saw Aiden… except he wasn't the same person I've known for so long. His eyes had produced a devilish stare and the aura around him made me turn away, it felt soulless. Leader then turned to me and said "Your turn", despite promising one of us could go free." She tried to recount the next thing that happened.

"I then pleaded, asking what was the point of playing his stupid game if both of us were going to suffer the same fate anyway. Leader just laughed, stating that he enjoyed giving his victims a false sense of hope."

She paused, the sad sorrow in her eyes was replaced with pure anger and rage.

"During this time I managed to slip my hands free from the ropes that kept my hands cuffed together and instantly jumped up to knock out Leader cold as well as take out the guards with their own weapons. After, I ran to Aiden, who merely stared at me before disappearing into the shadows."

Rachel could feel empathy for Serena, she lost the one she held dear to her heart.

"So what'd you do next?"

"Before I left, I managed to destroy the machine to prevent further use of its cruel purpose. After wandering the winter forest for a bit, I stumbled upon a Kids Next Door patrol, who took me in. Global Command deemed the mission a success and the facility as well occupants inside destroyed… but now it turns out that we were wrong."

Serena now looked down at her bracelet.

"And this bracelet you ask, this bracelet was from him… He gave it to me a day before the mission; it serves as a constant remainder to me of the sacrifice he made…"

Rachel then felt a small tear develop in her own eyes.

"Hey, maybe you should get some rest, it's been a rough day."

She then signaled for the armed guards outside to escort her to the infirmary.

As soon as Serena exited Rachel turned to Nigel.

"Everything makes sense now, the kidnapped scientists, this war, the mysterious figures, everything…"

"What do you propose we do Rachel?" Questioned Nigel.

"We'll figure something out.

* * *

A battered teen entered a large facility, still recovering from his encounter with the Kids Next Door.

His superior was enraged the minute he saw him.

"What on Earth happened to you?!" Leader yelled, standing up from his high chair.

Chamenos nearly jumped back, he'd never seen Leader in such rage.

"Well, it appears some minor complications have occurred and she… erm… managed to escape."

"Well how did that happen?" Leader scolded, now disappointed in Chamenos.

"She kind of ambushed me and… um… had the help of that bald boy and blonde girl."

Leader then calmed down and sat back down on his chair, his cold voice continued.

"I see… it turns out those two operatives may prove of more use than I previously thought" he then ringed up Father on screen.

"What do you want this time Leader?"

Leader grinned, "I'd like you to send some of your Teen Ninja agent's into the Moon Base to kidnap Numbuh 900, and also Numbuh 1 and 362 if the situation permits. If you fail me, the deal is off."

Father was enraged, and almost shot a fire ball at the screen.

"Why you little! I thought all I had to do was get those meddling brats to retreat back to the Moon Base!"

Leader giggled. "You seem to misunderstand, that was merely a distraction that would further my conquest… I mean your conquest for total world domination. Now fetch me the girl please or I'll withdraw my offer."

Father glared at the young teen. "Whatever." The transmission then went static.

"What a tool." Leader muttered to himself

Immediatley after the transmission ended, Chameno questioned Leader, something he rarely did.

"What's so important about this girl?"

"Oh you'll see." The well decorated Leader teased, now wishing he didn't give his subjects the ability to think on their own.

* * *

Rachel was alone doing her own research in the Moon Base library. She had ordered Nigel to take a break which he met with fierce resistance before he finally let up. No one was in higher authority then the Supreme Leader, not even the legendary Numbuh 1.

She searched the KND database, and brought up the files of all the kidnapped scientists which totaled up to five on the computer's large screen. She noticed that all of them were part of Project: M.M.A.C.P which stood for Mind Manipulation and Control program. The research done in the program was designed to give commanders total control over their soldiers in the field of combat through brain waves, while also allowing the combatants to make more intelligent decisions on their own. It was also meant to disrupt enemy communication as well as the mental state of enemy soldiers. The program was aimed at making the Kids Next Door military more efficient, not to indoctrinate the whole human race. The project was highly controversial, for it involved volunteer operatives to be experimented on, many of whom became psychologically unstable. One of the first thing's Rachel did when she was appointed Supreme Leader was scrapping the project, deeming it inhumane and too dangerous for further research.

Although the program was scrapped, the scientists who worked on the project still possessed knowledge of its details. She brought up the name of the scientists who betrayed the Kids Next Door on screen. On their files they were marked "terminated" as they were considered traitors to the organization. They too worked on Project: M.M.A.C.P, alongside the kidnapped scientists.

She murmured to herself. "Are you kidding me… don't tell me those scientists are in on it too."

Before she made her final judgment about the scientists, she realized they were kidnapped, opposed to the ones who supported Leader and the Hasayan's who simply disappeared.

It was all clear now, the reason why Leader kidnapped the scientists from the Deep Sea Lab was because his old conversion machine and supporter scientists were destroyed by Numbuh 900.

"I knew that's why I never liked that stupid program. I always figured that its knowledge would get into the wrong hands…"

Rachel exited the library and strayed down the hallway that led to her office that she hadn't entered in almost a month.

She entered her office, and was surprised to find that it lacked the stacks of papers she expected to be piled up. It was cleaned up by her assistance so that she could focus her mind on the war effort.

"Thank god…" She muttered to herself, taking a deep breath before sitting on her comfortable chair and stretching.

In the vents just above her office, several teens had managed to enter the base.

"Infiltration success, proceeding to apprehend Numbuh 900, shall I also snatch that brat Rachel T. Mckenzie?" Cree whispered into her communicator.

"That can wait, priority is Numbuh 900." Father replied on the other side of the device.

...TRANSMISSION INTERRUPTED...


	9. Chapter 9: Thinking of the Past

**Been a little while since my last update eh? **

**I've been pretty busy lately and have tried to squeeze in writing this story to whatever available time I have. First couple weeks of the semester are a little hectic, but it's slowing down thankfully. Don't worry the story is not discontinued nor on hiatus.  
**

**Also I'd like to thank those of you who have reviewed, put the story on fav., etc, as well as those of you who are currently reading my story.  
**

**Anyway here's the next chapter! I thought long and hard which direction I wanted to take the story for I had multiple ideas in mind.  
**

**The plot is getting very deep now, so make sure you pay close attention.  
**

**Enjoy Chapter 9, will keep you updated!  
**

* * *

Chapter 9: Thinking of the Past

...Connection Re-Established...

Serena was lying in bed in the Moon Base's infirmary. Ever since she'd encountered Aiden at the Arctic base, she couldn't stop thinking about everything that happened on that fateful day, as well as the memories she had with him.

It had been a year since the events that molded her into the person she is today occurred. Even though a year in the grand scheme of things is a relatively short amount of time, it felt like a millennium to her. Every day was difficult for her to deal with, especially with the thought of the boy she cared so much for basically vanishing right before her own eyes; his true self now locked away in the deep chambers of his mind. She missed him, knowing that she'd probably never be able to see the dignified boy she once knew ever again, knowing that he'd never grow up to fulfill his dreams, and the most painful of all, knowing that she'd never get to confess the true feelings she felt towards him.

In the middle of her thoughts, she heard movement coming from the corner of her room. Serena was given a resting quarters where she would be able to relax and possibly get some sleep in. After all, attempting to fall asleep in the main section of the infirmary while doctors and nurses were running around trying to save wounded operatives who were bleeding out everywhere wouldn't be exactly the most calming environment.

"Hey who's there?" she projected her voice towards the location of the sound.

No one replied back, and Serena discounted the event.

"Probably just my imagination or something." She muttered aloud to herself.

The brown haired girl returned to her thoughts, thinking about her long lost love. She missed his joyful self, his black curly hair and his emerald eyes. The two had met during their training for S.R.S.S.T. She closed her eyes and slowly drifted away into a deep sleep.

Suddenly old memories emerged in her head, and became so vivid she felt as she was reliving the moment…

_2 years earlier in the Arctic Base_

"All right maggots! Now before we proceed to the most difficult and miserable training of your lives, I would like to congratulate all of you to making it into this elite team of operatives." Yelled out Numbuh 60, at the time still drill instructor at the Arctic base

"You are here because you are the best of the best, the cream of the crop, an example for which all of us may follow, and I will expect nothing short of that while I personally train all of you."

All of the operatives on the main bridge gulped, they felt special that they would be part of S.R.S.S.T, but their happiness was short lived when Patton announced he would personally train them. Patton was the one of the best drill instructors in Kids Next Door history, but his methods of which to train operatives was unusually difficult and rigorous.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah, I'm excited too. Anyway, I'd like to introduce you to one of my good colleagues, Numbuh 362, one of the most cunning and talented operative and espionage agent of this organization."

A young blonde girl, probably around age 10, walked onto the bridge.

"What the heck does she have to do with our training? She's part of a whole different agency!" one of the cadets rudely shouted.

Numbuh 60 produced a cold stare at the arrogant cadet, and walked up to the small boy face to face.

"Oh so you're a know it all aren't you huh? Think just because you're in S.R.S.S.T there aren't other operatives in other elite branches of the KND who are probably more skilled than anyone in this room? Well, I'll tell you right now you little scrub, you best keep your mouth shut or I'll kick you out of this program right now, butt freezing in the sub-zero degree temperatures right outside this base."

The boy nearly collapsed upon hearing Numbuh 60's response, causing all the other cadets to become more attentive.

"That goes for the rest of you too." He announced

Rachel was standing right next to Patton, and she whispered something into his ear.

"Geeze isn't that a little harsh, you aren't serious are you?"

Patton wanted to smile, but kept a straight face.

"Eh… Kinda." He responded back, now turning to the rest of the cadets.

"Ok, now that we got that squared off, Numbuh 362 will serve as your instructor for the first couple of days, she will train you on how to sneak up on your enemy and gather intelligence during combat. The Intelligence gathering agency goes through a similar, if not more challenging process.

Numbuh 60 then stepped back, allowing Rachel to move forward and speak.

"Greeting cadets, I would also like to congratulate you on making it to this special force of the Kids Next Door. I too was invited to S.R.S.S.T, but was recommended by global command to join the intelligence agency…"

Near the back of the row of cadets, a short brown haired girl was shaking from nervousness.

"Hey, you ok?" a voice next to her responded.

"Yeah… well no…" she turned to see a medium sized boy with curly black hair and emerald colored eyes. He had a calming aura around him, one that helped put the girl at ease.

"Hey, just take it easy, we'll get through this. By the way my name is Aiden."

"Serena." She smiled back, happy that she made a friend.

_Back to the present_

She woke up suddenly, gasping for air. Everything felt so real, like she traveled back in the past when everything was much simpler, back when she first met Aiden.

She took a deep breath, and whispered something under her breath.

"Just a dream…"

Right as she said that a voice from the side of her bed broke the silence in the room.

"Too bad this isn't." Cree said before several hands subdued her and injected a needle into her arm that would render her unconscious.

"How… how did you…" Serena felt everything around the room spinning, before the drug finally took full effect.

* * *

"Hey Numbuh 1, you should really get with Numbuh 362 once this is all over, she diggin' ya!" Numbuh 5 teased as all of Sector V was walking down the Moon Base dock.

"For the love of cake Abby, we're just really close friends!" Nigel insisted, now annoyed of his friends' accusations.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah, whatever Numbuh 1, you're probably the most clueless one when it comes to this relation stuff." Numbuh 4 blurted out, causing all of Sector V to turn their heads towards him.

Kuki then raised her hand and slapped him in the back of the head, catching the Australian operative completely by surprise.

"You'd be the one to talk!" she muttered, now aggravated.

"What was that for?!" Wally responded back, rubbing the back of his head.

Abby and Hoagie just shook their heads and face palmed their faces.

"Speaking of clueless, what'd you guys gather from Numbuh 900?" Abby questioned, turning her head towards Nigel."

"Well it's a long story…"

The Moon Base alarms suddenly went off, starling all the personal on the dock.

"Intruder alert, requesting all security personal to Deck 1B through 3A, initializing tree house lockdown now."

Nigel's heart stopped, Rachel's office was located on Deck 2B. Negative thoughts began to race through his mind, what if something happened to her? It was certainly a possibility and the bald operative immediately rushed to the Supreme Leaders office.

Rachel was sitting in her office analyzing possible battle plans to recapture Earth when the alarm suddenly went off.

The blonde girl jumped out of her seat, but quickly regained her composure.

She ringed up Numbuh 60, who was on the Moon Base bridge.

"Status report Numbuh 60!" Rachel asked through her communicator

"There's been a breach through several levels of the tree house, and the nurses report Numbuh 900 missing from her room!"

Rachel was caught totally caught off guard, she didn't think anyone would be able to sneak into the Moon Base, and the fact that Numbuh 900 was kidnapped only made matters worse.

"I want an immediate lockdown of the entire base; no one gets in or out until I lift the order, got that?"

"Yes Numbuh 362 sir." Patton responded back.

As soon as the transmission was cut off, Rachel proceeded to reach another contact.

"I gotta call Nigel!" Rachel thought to herself.

Suddenly and without warning her office door busted down, and a shadowed out figure emerged through the door. Rachel quickly grabbed a 2x4 laser gun she keeps stashed underneath her office desk.

"Let her go intruder, you're not going anywhere!" Nigel yelled, holding a M.U.S.K.E.T

"Nigel what the heck are you doing?!" Rachel questioned from behind her office desk.

"Don't worry Rachel I'm here to rescue you!" the boy lunged forward toward her and pulled her underneath the cover of the wooden desk.

"What the ?! Nigel… no one is harming me, I'm totally fine…" Rachel muttered, squinting her eyes at the reckless operative.

"Yes there…. Oh…" Nigel said, peeking over the desk only to be greeted by a completely cleared room.

Nigel bit down on his own teeth "Erm, sorry about that…"

Rachel lightened up, the thought of Nigel barging in to rescue her even though there was no immediate danger appeared to be very sincere.

"Don't worry about it, I thought you checking in on me was kinda cute anyway." She smiled.

Nigel blushed, why did she have to have such an adorable smile?

He stood back up, helping Rachel regain her balance along the way.

"So if nothing is wrong here, then what's going…?

Rachel rubbed the back of her head, breaking eye contact with Nigel. She paced back behind her desk to clean up the mess Nigel had made while barging into her office.

"Well…Numbuh 900 has been kidnapped."

"Wait by who?!" He blurted out, anticipating Rachel's response.

She finished putting the last stack of papers and files into her drawer and refocused her attention back onto Nigel. "We suspect it's the Teen Ninja's, after all, they're the only ones who could possibly sneak in here undetected."

"I should've know… any idea where they are now?" Nigel questioned, eager to rescue Numbuh 900.

"Well they couldn't have gotten far, we locked down the whole base, so they have to be in here somewhere…"

"Look no further you little brat, we're right here."

Suddenly Cree and several Teen Ninja's dropped down from ceiling. Rachel caught a glimpse of Serena being carried by one of them.

"What did you do to her?!" Rachel yelled, now worried.

"Oh don't worry, just a little sedation." Cree grinned, preparing her nun chucks.

"Numbuh 900 was the priority of this little mission, but it was also strongly recommended I kidnap you two also!" Cree added, signaling the others to capture the two operatives.

Without hesitation, Nigel quickly jumped in the air, knocking down one of the teens and blasting another with his M.U.S.K.E.T.

"Well sorry to burst your bubble, but we're not going anywhere!"

Rachel soon followed, and a brawl soon took place in the room.

"I got your back Nigel!" she yelled, leaping in the air to dodge two teens who violently knocked each other out.

He smiled, "guess your finally getting adjusted back to field work huh?"

"Just keep your mind focused." She responded back, as she blasted one of the teens away and tripped another.

The two operatives fought fiercely, but were eventually surrounded by the Teen Ninjas.

"Nigel, I don't know how long we can last." Rachel was gasping for air, exhausted from the fighting.

"Don't give up Rachel! We'll get out of this." Nigel said while dodging a pair of nun-chucks.

They lasted only a few seconds longer before they were finally cornered. A set of nets shot out over them entangling the two operatives, restricting their movement.

"Why kidnap us anyway?!" Nigel blurted out.

"Orders from Father." Cree responded, pulling out the anesthetic.

Rachel glared at Nigel, who was still frantically trying to break free from the confinements of the net.

Nigel stared back, and he slowly settled down, accepting that his attempt to escape was futile.

Suddenly, lasers shot out from behind Cree, taking out several of the teens including the one holding Serena. Sector V, several guards, and Patton hustled into the room, aiming their modified 2x4 laser rifles at the remaining Teen Ninja's.

"Any last words before we finally put you through decommissioning big sis?" Abby said, feeling a bit of remorse. Despite all of her crimes towards children and various other age groups, she was still her sister.

Cree grinned, and pulled out a smoke grenade out of her back pocket.

"Actually yes, see you later Kids Next Dorks!" she yelled before she threw the grenade on the ground. Smoke suddenly engulfed the room, and when it finally cleared, Cree and her Ninja's were gone.

"Damn, they got away." Patton murmured to himself. All the personal in the room quickly rushed to aid the Supreme Leader and Numbuh 1. The minute they cut the nets, Numbuh 362 quickly jumped in search of Serena.

"Where's Numbuh 900?!"

Patton pointed to a group of paramedics carrying her on a stretcher.

"Are we seriously going to bring her back to the infirmary after she JUST got kidnapped from there?" Rachel grumbled.

"Nope, we'll bring her to a much more secure location. After all she's just under anesthetics and should be awake in a couple hours." Numbuh 60 responded, signaling all of his men to check for any signs of Cree.

"How'd you guys know we were here?" Numbuh 1 questioned his team.

"Lucky guess." Abby grinned.

"Big sister!" a voice yelled through the doorway causing every operative in the room to quickly turn to the doorway.

Everyone in the room grunted at the site of the boy, especially Sector V.

"Harvey what did I tell you? When we're on duty you address me by my code number…" Rachel responded, now just a little irritated by the abrupt appearance of her younger sibling.

Numbuh 363, despite being Rachels brother, was perhaps the most hated operative in all of the Kids Next Door, even in the light of his sectors high mission success rate. The boy had earned such a repulsive personality due to his selfish nature, cruel methods, arrogant behavior, and over the top competitveness. Not to mention his little phobia of being touched.

"Sorry Numbuh 362… What's he doing here? I bet you're the reason those teens were able to infiltrate the base in the first place." Harvey snared at Nigel, causing Rachel to roll her eyes.

"He was helping me fight off Cree; say didn't I assign you and your sector to keep watch over the Moon Base bridge?"

"Um, yeah…" Rachel's brother replied back sheepishly.

"Well I suggest you get to it then soldier."

Harvey rubbed the back of his head and quickly exited the room, causing everyone to breathe a sigh of relief.

"If I get my hands on that cruddy brat I swear I'll…."

Nigel interrupted.

"That's enough Numbuh 4." Causing Wally to hold his tongue and keep his mouth shut.

"Sorry about that Nigel…" Rachel muttered in an apologetic voice.

"It's ok Rachel; I could never understand why your brother holds such a grudge against me over well… nothing."

Rachel responded back, she too didn't have a clue to why her brother disliked Nigel so much "Eh, well I guess that's just how he is."

As silence fell over the room for a brief moment and security and emergency crews exited the room, she suddenly remembered something she'd meant to inform Nigel about her findings when searching through the data base.

"Hey Nigel, do you remember that whole Project M.M.A.C.P thing I disbanded a few years back?"

He looked puzzled. "Yeah why? Something about mind control and stuff right?"

"Well, the scientists that worked under the Hasayans as well as the ones who were kidnapped were in charge of its research and development."

Nigel thought about what Rachel said, and made a connection with what she had just told him.

"It makes sense now, Leader and the Hasayans kidnapped them so they could help re-develop the machine that Numbuh 900 destroyed!"

"Exactly my thoughts Nigel."

An incoming transmission suddenly interrupted their conversation.

"Supreme Leader, I have some urgent information to discuss with you, meet me on the dock." Chester replied.

"Um ok, be there in a bit." Rachel responded, shutting off the moniter.

She turned to Nigel who was now waiting near the office door way.

"Guess we'll have to figure out this whole conspiracy some other time."

* * *

Father was furious upon Cree's arrival.

Instead of bearing the three operatives, she returned empty handed.

"Where are they?!" Father scolded at Cree.

"Those three brats managed to get saved by their annoying friends who caught us by surprise." She stated unaffected by Father's temper tantrum.

"Dou you have any idea what the hell this means?!" Father responded, getting more angrier by the second.

"Kind of."

Infuriated by her answer, he immediately ordered her to get out of his site before he turned her into ashes. Shortly after, an incoming transmission appeared on his screen.

"Did you get the three children?" Leader questioned as soon as the connection was established.

"About that…" Father began twiddling with his fingers.

"I'm guessing you weren't able to capture them." The boy said, now narrowing his eyes onto Father.

Father just stared emptily at the screen.

Leader sighed, and moved a little closer to the screen.

"Deals off."

"What?! You miserable little imp, you should be answering too me, not the other way around!" the dark silhouette was really ticked off this time.

Leader cut the transmission short, and turned to face his newly finished machine.

"I knew I couldn't count on that fool, no matter we can begin the final stage of my plan shortly." He turned to Chamenos who was standing near a corner.

"I want you to destroy those cannons I gave to Father immediately, I'd hate to see that imbecile somehow using my own weapons against me."

"As you wish… but how can we finish your project if the girl and her friends aren't here?" Chamenos responded, unconsciously staring at the bracelet he wore on his wrist that the girl he encountered also wore. He couldn't stop thinking about that girl, there was something so familiar about her.

Leader grinned.

"No matter, now they will simply come to us…"

* * *

"Numbuh 1942, you said you needed us?" Rachel said as she approached the admiral.

"Ah yes, well I'd like to inform you that we're ready to strike against Father's armies."

Rachel and Nigel looked at each other confused. It had been only maybe a few days since they arrived on the Moon Base.

"That's what happens you re-commission several thousand ships and mobilize the entire Kids Next Door." The admiral proudly stated.

"But what about those energy cannons? We'll get ripped apart again if we attack now." Nigel asked, believing that an invasion plan would fail with the enemy possessing such weapons.

"That is why I think now is the time to strike, apparently after heavy usage, they need to be fixed for maintenance at one single location. I suggest we launch a global counter-offensive while we still have the chance, meanwhile I will lead a large task force to take out the facility that is currently holding those cursed weapons."

Rachel thought about it for a minute, and came to the conclusion that this may be their best shot at winning the war.

"Sounds like a plan, let's discuss this with the rest of the commanders in about 20 minutes yeah?"

The admiral nodded in approval before leaving to inspect the fighters being loaded onto his carrier.

The pair then waited on the dock for several more minutes before Rachel finally turned to Nigel. She scooted a little closer to ask him something.

"It's Meatball sandwich day still, wanna grab some dinner?" she suggested.

Nigel thought about it for a minute, the last time she asked him he rejected the offer.

"Yeah sure why not?" he answered back.

Rachel smiled and the two walked in extremely close proximity to the cafeteria.

* * *

After nearly an hour of debating and shouting, Rachel and Nigel, as well as other important commanders including Numbuh 1942 and Numbuh 60, began finalizing invasion plans in the Moon Base's war room.

"After Numbuh 1942 destroys the energy cannons, he will provide close support for Numbuh 60's landing force as well as destroy Father's Navy, meanwhile several S.R.S.S.T members will cripple Fathers artillery batteries scattered throughout the continent. After we have secured a beach hold in North America, I will give the order for the full scale liberation of Earth. Invasion begins at 0800 hours on Tuesday." All the commanders in the room agreed on the plan, it was solid, sound, and well thought out.

"I'd like to inform you fine gentlemen that you will embark on the largest invasion fleet in Kids Next Door History. I will also address all of the Kids Next Door tomorrow, do not tell your soldiers until then." She then dismissed the commanders who reported back to begin organizing their men.

Nigel was waiting in the corner. "So you're positive you're going to tell the rest of the Kids Next Door?"

"Yeah…but like I said tomorrow, they've been through enough already…" she replied.

"But what about the Arctic facility? You didn't even mention that during briefing…"

"Don't worry about too much, I've already began thinking of a plan." She sighed, things were going to get a lot more hectic around here.

* * *

Deep in the coldest parts of Siberia, several figures managed to slip pass the security detail of one of Father's war factories.

"Are you sure this is where the cannons are stored?" Chamenos whispered into his communicator.

"Of course." A voice replied on the other line.

"Understood." The black haired teen then signaled for the Hasayan soldiers to sneak out of the bushes and plant C4 charges on all of the structures.

He watched as they opened the backdoors to the buildings and shot anyone inside with their guns equipped with silencers. As they entered the facility's, one of the soldiers accidentally made a loud banging noise by hitting his gun against a barrel.

One of the guards taking notice of the sound, quickly ran to the back of one of the buildings

The man raised his gun and pointed his gun towards the door. "Hey what's going on back there?"

Chamenos, hiding behind a bush overseeing one of the doors leaped out to silence the man, who would compromise their mission the minute he spotted his men inside the buildings.

Just as he broke the man's neck and proceeded to drag the body into a bush a bright blinding light turned in his direction.

It was a guard towers spotlight.

"INTRUDER!" the guard on the tower yelled, as he quickly reached to sound off the alarm.

The teen shot the guard in hopes of taking him out, but it was too late.

The sounds of sirens alerted all personal in the facility and they quickly manned several APC's and trucks equipped with machine guns.

"Figures…" he muttered to himself.

The Hasayan soldiers quickly ran out, having finished planting the charges on all the buildings.

"Charges planted."

"Good." He responded while grabbing his communicator to request extraction.

Several seconds later a black stealth helicopter arrived over their heads and landed.

"Hurry get on board, the guards on their way." He gestured to his men.

They quickly loaded the helicopter which instantly lifted off when all soldiers were accounted for.

Below them the security had arrived, shooting rockets into the air as well as machine gun fire.

Chamenos grinned, grabbing a remote from his pocket.

"1...2…3 boom."

Several large explosions quickly dispersed Father's men and the flames engulfed anyone unfortunate enough to be caught in it's way.

He watched as several trucks were tossed on their sides and APC's were violently ripped apart. Men were running around confused, shooting aimlessly in the air.

"Mission complete, returning to base." He muttered into his communicator.

The young teen looked again at his bracelet.

On it read "Death before Dishonor."

An image appeared in his head, and he could see the brown haired girl he ran into while at the Arctic Base. Memories began flooding in until one his men took notice and interrupted his thoughts.

"Everything alright sir?" one of the soldiers asked through his gas mask.

"Yeah... just a minor headache." he responded back.

The boy looked toward the stars.

Did he somehow know the girl Leader wanted so much?

...TRANSMISSION INTERRUPTED...

* * *

**There was a typo earlier in the story which I called Serena(Numbuh 900) a "blonde girl" I corrected it just in case any of you were confused, she actually has brown hair**

**Sorry for any confusion, will keep you guys up to date!**


	10. Chapter 10: Inspiration

**Sorry for the long wait guys! Been really busy for me lately. The fact that I have school the WHOLE day on Monday has really taken a toll on me -_-**

**This chapter was originally going to be longer, but I have decided that it would be better if I split it into two.**

**For whatever this chapter had been especially difficult for me to write, probably the hardest one to write so far. **

**I'd also like to thank all of those have reviewed, favorited, followed, and to all who have continued to read my story**

**Kind of a short chapter I know, but I promise it'll all be worth it!**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

Chapter 10: Inspiration

...Connection Re-Established...

"Unidentified aircraft approaching 12 o'clock!" One of the radar personal shouted to the admiral.

Chester immediately ran over to the radar station to see what the operative was talking about. As he walked nearer, there was indeed an unidentified blimp on the radar screen.

"How the hell did they know we were coming? If they managed to detect us they should've been flying all over us by now, why such a late response?" The admiral thought to himself.

"Not sure admiral, but the unidentified aircraft seems to be a helicopter of some sort." The operative replied, gesturing the communications sector of the carrier's command post to send a message out to the rest of the small fleet.

The admiral assessed the situation.

"Dispatch some fighters to take it out, we can't risk them radioing in our position."

"Yes sir… wait… the object seems to have disappeared from radar." The radar operator frantically searched the screen and found that the signal the helicopter was giving off seemed to have vanished.

Numbuh 1942 took note and was initially puzzled before he came up with his own conclusion.

"Strange… call off the fighters, must've been a bird or glitch or something."

Chester relaxed, and sat back down on his seat that overlooked the entire command post of the ship. Just as he thought the rest of the operation would proceed as planned, a sudden disturbance entered the room.

"Admiral, urgent!" a messenger came on the carrier's bridge, bringing in a folder.

"What is it Numbuh 351?" the admiral questioned, quickly grabbing the folder.

"Unsure, these images just came in from our scout drones a few minutes ago." The messenger replied, before he exited the bridge.

"What could it possibly be this time…" the admiral then opened the folder and was perplexed by the information it contained.

"What the? That's impossible!" shouted the admiral scratching his head.

Meanwhile just below them, a mysterious craft was emitting jamming frequencies and silently flew just above the tree lines.

The helicopter flew into the horizon, heading to a northern location, its final destination, unknown.

* * *

"Kids Next Door rule!" Rachel shouted at the top of her lungs.

"Kids Next Door rule!" the crowd shouted back.

The amphitheater was packed, every seat was filled in by someone, forcing some operatives to sit on the ground and even stand near the exits and entrances. Since the amphitheater lacked the proper space adequate to fill in every member of the Kids Next Door, large screens were placed throughout the Moon Base, in space ports, and even on the ships orbiting the Moon. The Supreme Leader was about to address every single operative of the Kids Next Door, and what she had to say was of the utmost importance.

Rachel took a deep breath, and stepped up to her podium that was implanted on the stage. Behind her was Fanny, Patton, as well as Global command. Nigel was with his Sector, sitting in front row seats given to them by Rachel. Before the gathering, Rachel had asked if Nigel would like to be seated up on the stage behind her with the other high ranking officials, but he kindly refused, insisting he stay with his friends.

She began the talking, and the chatter in the large amphitheater ceased.

"I'm sure many of you by now are tired of this war and the constant fighting and suffering it brings."

The operatives nodded in agreement, causing a stir of movement in the crowd.

"In the past month, we have seen our military crippled, our fleets burning in the skies, our tanks tossed around like a bunch of cheap toys, our friends dying in our arms, and our confidence shattered right before our own eyes. Since the outbreak of this war, it is now that I regret to tell you that over 350,000 of our operatives have been lost." She paused for a minute, skimming the faces that littered the amphitheater, fear and sadness lighting up their eyes.

Nigel was right, they did need a leader, and the Kids Next Door looked to her for guidance.

She quickly continued, noticing the silence of the room that had quickly developed the moment she spoke.

"We have come to believe that we are invincible, that our military superiority could not be surpassed. Unfortunately, the reality is that we are not. However, that does not mean we are weak, fragile, or vulnerable like our enemy believes us to be." The Commander-in-Chief of the Kids Next Door looked around once more, this time her eyes focused on Nigel.

"Since this conflict began, I have witnessed the strength and courage of many of my fellow colleagues in the heat of battle. Many times we have found ourselves in a desperate struggle, facing the likely occurrence of imminent defeat. Within that sense of urgency, we have found hope, which has allowed us to rise to the occasion, to live on to fight another day. It is operatives like you that feed my willingness to lead and constantly remind me that even the darkest of days are followed by a better tomorrow."

Nigel smiled at Rachel, sensing that this segment of her speech was directed at him.

"Over the past couple of weeks, our forces have steadily rebuilt, allowing our fleet to increase by nearly tenfold. Our war factories have also pumped out thousands of new vehicles and ammunition, and our air force is now ready to take to the skies. Despite facing almost total annihilation, the Kids Next Door, that includes all of you, has risen to the challenge."

She paused, what she was about to announce was critical. Rachel entered a state of mind, a state of epiphany and began to rally and raise the spirits of all allied forces.

"Tomorrow at 0800 hours, you will embark about on the great crusade, which many of you have worked towards for these many weeks now. The hopes and prayers of children everywhere rest upon you. You will bring about the destruction of Father's war machine, the liberty of the oppressed children of Earth, and security for not just children but humanity in a free world. Your mission will be a daunting one, Father's armies are well-conditioned, well-supplied, and battle proven. However, I hold total confidence in your skills on the battlefield. We will beat them in the skies, in the oceans, and on land. The tides will finally turn, and we will accept nothing less than unconditional surrender and absolute victory. I wish you all the best of luck and God's speed."

Thunderous applause could be heard from all around the stadium as Rachel walked off the podium.

As she walked down behind the stage, Nigel was already waiting for Rachel.

"Tomorrows going to be a tough day huh?"

She cheerfully smiled back

"Yeah, but nothing we can't handle."

* * *

"Who could've done this…?"

The admiral landed with a small assault force near the ruins of one of Father's facility's.

He looked around, apparently someone had did his job for him, but he sensed something much more than that.

"This is impossible, I gave no one the order to attack ahead of us, did you guys authorize a strike on this place without my knowledge?" Chester faced several of his commanding officers, all whom shook their heads.

"How the hell is this even happening …? I want a full cleanup of this facility and as well as a full report on any unusual findings. Also send a message to the Supreme Commander, tell her we're ahead of schedule."

"Yes Sir." The officers saluted and reported back to the ship to send a transmission to the Moon Base.

"Looks like someone did our job for us… but the question is... who and why?"

Numbuh 1942 was perplexed, there had to be more going on behind the scenes.

* * *

"Someone destroyed the energy cannons?!" Father shouted at all of his commanders who were standing before him trembling in fear.

One of the commanders began to stutter, trying to explain the whole situation. "Yes… well um… the cannons, they…"

Father shot a fire ball right in front of the commander, causing him to quickly jump out of the way.

"You shut up, now can someone who can actually speak the English language explain how the hell this happened?"

A seasoned commander, probably the only one who was unafraid of Father's temper tantrum stood out of the row. He took off his hat and looked around, thinking about his answer carefully.

"An unknown force, probably about the size of a small squad infiltrated the factory at about 2300 hours and managed to take out most of the security detail as well as destroy all of your energy weaponry through the use of C4 explosives."

"So you're telling me, a small group of brats, single handedly fought off a whole battalion while destroying all of my advanced weaponry!?" Father responded.

"In essence, yes."

Now he was really angered, those cannons were probably the only things that brought him a victory against the Kids Next Door, who otherwise would've managed to launch a full scale counter attack that would've quickly overpowered any of his armies.

He thought about who could've committed this act of treachery against him, he figured maybe it was the Kids Next Door, or maybe some resistance fighters, but Father wanted to be sure.

Father resumed questioning, and now stood up, staring at all the commanders in the room. "And who the hell is responsible for this heinous act?"

"Surviving soldiers describe the men as highly trained, wearing a black uniform and gas masks, they also spotted armbands that had a strange insignia with the…"

Before the commander could finish, Father pounded his fist on his chair and ignited his whole body in flames.

"Enough! I know what to do now, you are all dismissed."

All the commanders quickly withdrew from the room, still trembling from Father's lecture.

"Those damn Hasayans… think they can do whatever they'll want. I'll show them… they'll see." Father muttered to himself.

* * *

Rachel was busy in her office ordering around commanders to make final preparations for the invasion. Earlier, she had left Nigel to gear up with his team and get some well-deserved rest. As she was sending out messages and answering e-mails, a paper from her computer's printer suddenly emerged. It contained a short message from Numbuh 1942.

She quickly grabbed it and read it to herself.

"Energy Cannons destroyed before arrival of fleet. Unknown forces responsible. Wreckage suggests special forces of mysterious origin. Plans ahead of schedule, invasion still to proceed at 0800 hours."

"Unknown forces responsible…?" Rachel murmured to herself. What did he mean by Unknown forces responsible? It didn't add up.

She thought about possible interpretations of that for a minute. Could it be the S.R.S.S.T? No, she never authorized a strike on that particular facility and she would've been informed about it otherwise. Maybe it was resistance fighters? It couldn't be, there was no way a bunch of rag tagged kids or underequipped operatives could've executed an operation of this magnitude so perfectly. The way Chester reported it seemed to suggest it was a well-trained and elite force.

She finally came up with a final conclusion. But it didn't make much sense, at all.

Rachel guessed maybe it was the Hasayan's that she had recently been informed about, but weren't they working with Father? Why cripple your own ally? She thought she had figured out everything during Serena's questioning.

In her head, Father was working jointly with Leader or whoever he was for total world domination. But now, that didn't seem to be the case. If what she had just theorized was correct, then that means the Hasayan's and Leader were on neither side, and were working towards their own agenda. None of the puzzles seemed to be fitting together and the hypothesis she had put together about the two quickly fell apart.

She stressed out over the matter for several hours, until she glanced at the clock.

"It's 3 am already… guess I'd better get some sleep?" She said to herself, took one last look at some of the paper work on her desk before jumping on a makeshift bed that she kept in her office.

In just a few short hours, the liberation of Earth would begin.

* * *

Nigel and his Sector reported to the carrier named "The Hokagi", one of the three carriers that survived the initial outbreak of the war.

Around them soldiers were frantically boarding shuttles that took them to their designated ships. In less than an hour, the invasion force would begin heading toward Earth's orbit.

Rachel suddenly appeared out of nowhere and surprised Sector V. She wanted to make sure that Nigel would be with her at all times, with our without his sector. The latest intel suggested that Father's anti-aircraft batteries and air force were already waiting for them. The first wave of the invasion was expected to have the most amounts of casualties, and unfortunately Nigel was to be a part of it.

"Rachel what are you doing here? Shouldn't you be on the ship's bridge already?"

"Yeah… but I'm here to tell you about the recent developments."

Nigel was curious to what she had to say and turned away from his sector.

"The energy cannons have been destroyed, but not by us." She continued.

"What the?" Impossible, are you sure your intel isn't sketchy? I'm sure it was Numbuh 1942 and his task force, or maybe it was resistance fighters." he added.

"No, the admiral informed me that the facility was destroyed before he even got there, and I contacted resistance leaders and they said there was no raid in that area."

"So who could've possibly done this?" Nigel was confused; the only logical explanation he could think of just had been thrown right out the window.

"I'm not sure, but I suspect it's the Hasayans." Rachel whispered into his hair, making sure it wasn't in hearing range for any other operatives around them.

"What? That doesn't make any sense? I thought they were working with Father." He answered back.

"That's what I thought too, now I'm not sure what to believe."

"Well, shouldn't we do something about this then?" Nigel wanted to act, and now. If the Hasayans now turned against Father, then there must be something working behind the scenes beyond their understanding.

Rachel nodded in agreement, but then responded with some disappointing news "Yeah., but unfortunately we don't know the location of this secret base and Serena can't remember either, so until then, we're in the dark."

"Ugh, so much going on… anyway anything else you wanted to tell me?"

Rachel looked around a bit then continued to talk.

"Um… Yeah, I request your assistance on the… err ship's bridge, I think you're a very valuable person who we can't risk sending on the front lines."

Nigel looked a bit confused, and a little angered at the same time.

"Are you playing favoritism with me…? And what about my sector?"

Rachel paused for a minute, she wasn't exactly sure how to tell him. Him being a VIP was partly truthful, but she wanted to explain to him in a way that wouldn't reveal her other intentions.

"No, I need your help directing the invasion force, and your sector will stay on this ship and command several squads until stated otherwise, understood?"

Nigel nodded.

"Yeah sure, whatever you say Rachel."

He sensed other ulterior motives, but he had no choice but to follow her orders.

After their brief conversation, the two boarded the ship, and entered the carrier's command post.

"Status report on Chester's fleet." She ordered a communications officer.

"In position and awaiting further orders." The officer responded.

"Excellent, signal all ships to prepare to enter into Earth's atmosphere."

"Yes Numbuh 362 Sir." The communications director began directing all forces to commence the hyper-jump.

"Hey where's Serena anyway?" Nigel questioned.

Rachel answered quickly. "Oh I allowed her to go back into S.R.S.S.T operations for now, she'll be back soon though."

Several hours earlier Serena had just woken up from her induced coma. After recovering from her ordeal, she insisted that she report back to her team to help out with the war effort. Rachel approved her request, but informed the girl that she would require her assistance soon.

As the ship began warming up it's engines, Numbuh 2 made a random comment.

"I really wish these ships were equipped with orbital cannons or something, would make our job a heck of a lot easier."

All of the personal on the main bridge agreed, and Hoagie's comment seemed to ease down tensions just a little bit.

Rachel turned to Nigel, her eyes filled with both confidence and doubt.

The fleet zoomed towards Earth, to face Father's forces head on.

...TRANSMISSION INTERRUPTED...


	11. Chapter 11: Homecoming

**Here's the next installment! Hope you are all enjoying the story!**

* * *

Chapter 11: Homecoming

…Connection Re-Established…

"ETA Five minutes" the pilot announced through the microphone in the helicopter.

During the initial invasion of North America, allied forces were unexpectedly barraged by a massive amount of enemy artillery fire, which were thought to have been taken out pre-invasion. It turns out that Father had hidden several artillery pieces that the S.R.S.S.T had missed.

After several weeks of little to no progress, Rachel and other commanders concluded that the only way they could take the Western part of the continent was to launch a massive assault on the artillery compound, which was heavily defended and fortified, making launching an air strike alone ineffective. Despite heavy protesting from the other officials, they finally let Rachel lead the assault on the fortified base. Meanwhile on the East Coast, steady progress was being made, but their advance was ultimately halted by the artillery emplacements stationed there.

In order to successfully liberate Earth, North America must be taken so that the Kids Next Door would have a foothold on the planet for which they could use as their base of operations.

Rachel looked around the gunship, a little uneasy for the battleground they were about to arrive on. She had brought along Nigel and Sector V. Initially, Rachel was against Nigel being sent to the front, but concluded that operatives like him were needed on the battlefield to help put an end to the war. Also aboard the craft was half a dozen S.R.S.S.T soldiers who were wearing newly issued black uniforms that were covered in a new light and flexible armor that had been recently developed. On the armor, she could spot several unique designs and images on the plating, which was customized by the soldiers themselves, a unique privilege given to all members of the S.R.S.S.T or other elite operatives. The headgear they wore also appeared to be much more advanced and armored, consisting of a new sharp design , a face mask that provided ventilation ,and newly issued shades that allowed them to see through smoke, darkly lit areas, at night, and so on. These uniform changes also carried on to the regular army, minus the technology advances and the much more durable and flexible armor worn by S.R.S.S.T forces.

A thought entered Rachel's mind for a minute; just by the new designs of their uniforms it had occurred to the blonde girl that the war was changing the Kids Next Door, and to her it looked like for the worse. Diversity and individualism seemed to be replaced with conformity and subordination, forcing soldiers on the battlefield to follow orders without question, effectively turning them into killing machines. Despite the increased combat efficiency reported by global command, she had heard horror stories of commanding officers ordering their operatives to execute surrendering enemy soldiers. What was once a relatively liberal and open organization was now an organization that seemed to become more closed off, suffering from the growing attrition of war.

Her thoughts were interrupted when the pilot announced another message through the craft's microphone.

"ETA two minutes." This caused all the operatives on board to make final preps on their equipment as well as begin lining up near the exit of the helicopter, where they would slide down a rope onto the ground below.

Nigel gave a reassuring smirk to Rachel, hoping to ease the tension building up in her.

"ETA 30 seconds." The pilot stated, the sounds of war now sounding closer than ever.

Just before they were about to slide into the field of combat Rachel gave one last words of encouragement.

"I expect nothing but victory from the finest sector and operatives in the Kids Next Door."

This last comment seemed to boost morale, and the doors of the helicopter slid opened.

In the distance they could see an ensuing tank battle followed by air strikes on enemy armored columns. The smell of gun powder and burning vehicles immediately flooded the craft, causing all of the operatives on board to put on their face masks.

Another unusual scent also managed to seep into the nostrils of the soldiers. One that neither the S.R.S.S.T or Sector V could recognize.

It was the smell of burning flesh.

The Kids Next Door had adopted new tactics against their enemy, using a new flammable substance much more deadly than napalm. The flames consumed anything in its path within several seconds and could nearly incinerate any human being almost immediately upon contact. It was a controversial and cruel weapon indeed, but a quite effective one.

Rachel quickly searched the ground beneath them, making sure that the area below them was secure.

"Go, go, go!" She instructed, personally assisting Sector V and the soldiers on board.

All the operatives quickly slide on the rope to the ground below, leaving only Rachel and Nigel left aboard the helicopter.

Nigel turned to Rachel really quick. "Hey Rachel, whatever happens down there…."

Suddenly an explosion rocked the helicopter, and blinking red lights illuminated the whole craft.

"Get out now! I don't know how much longer I can keep her in the air!" the pilot shouted, struggling to keep the helicopter airborne while alert messages on the crafts computer appeared. The helicopter jerked to the left forcing both commanders to slide near the exit of the airbourne vehicle. The two didn't hesitate and immediately roped down. Seconds later, the aircraft took another direct hit from a SAM missile, exploding it in midair. Debris showered down on the group of operatives, forcing them to take cover.

"Guess we really stirred up a hornets nest now!" one of the soldiers responded.

"Couldn't agree with you more!" another S.R.S.S.T soldier replied.

Rachel and Nigel looked towards the mostly cloudy sky, which was littered with KND helicopters dropping in reinforcements and gunships. Enemy flak blanketed the sky in small thick blankets of black clouds. She watched one helicopter stop and land to unload more soldiers before it exploded into flames. She quickly turned her head the other way, hoping to avoid the disturbing image.

Meanwhile on the ground, operatives were running around everywhere, trying to take cover from the onslaught of enemy gun fire and artillery barrages.

"Over here!" a soldier yelled out.

Rachel and her squad quickly ran to the source of the voice, quickly jumping into the foxhole. The boy who called out to them was not a part of the S.R.S.S.T but rather serving in the regular army.

"You guys really walked into a living hell…. Supreme Leader and Numbuh 1? It's an honor to meet you two in person! I see you brought an S.R.S.S.T squad with you, we were in dire need of reinforcements."

"What the status of the situation?" Rachel responded, the sound of artillery shells pounding the ground nearly drowning out her voice. One shell hit so close to their position that the blast from the impact showered them under a layer of dirt.

"That was too close!" Hoagie yelled out.

The soldier wiped some of the dirt off his helmet and continued.

"We've been trying to take the enemy's position for days, but those damn artillery barrages and machine gun pillboxes have been keeping us at bay!"

"I see, have you tried radioing in air support?" Rachel responded.

"Yeah we have, but their defenses are too fortified to be affected by air attacks."

"I thought so… is there any way into the compound?" The blonde commander questioned, hoping for some good news.

"Nope, the only way to get there is through a direct charge."

"I see, can you provide suppressing fire?"

"Yeah I'll… Wait! That's suicide!" The soldier was baffled at what she was suggesting. Her idea would mostly likely be suicide, and the fact that she was the Supreme Commander made things even more complex.

"Either we take our chances or we don't go anywhere. Just trust me!" Rachel commanded.

The soldier hesitated, but followed her orders. He then signaled other foxholes nearby to prepare to provide suppressing fire for Sector V, Rachel, and the S.R.S.S.T troops.

Rachel looked onto the landscape, which possessed several rocks that could act as cover.

"Nigel see those rocks?"

Nigel nodded.

"We'll take cover near that one, advancing closer to those pillboxes." She pointed at a large boulder located only several yards away from the enemy defenses.

Nigel agreed, gesturing the rest of his sector to follow close behind.

"On the count of 3, we charge to the nearest rock." Rachel announced to the group.

"Can anyone remind me why the crud we volunteered for this mission?!" Wally couldn't grasp the idea of charging straight into the crosshairs of the enemy machine guns. What they were doing, too him anyway, was straight suicide.

They all leaned against the edge of the foxhole and Rachel began the count down.

"…1…2…"

She turned to make sure that the operatives especially Nigel were ready to follow behind.

"…3…!"

The small group immediately jumped over the foxhole, frantically running to the rock she spotted on the field, dodging enemy artillery and stray bullets on the way.

"Suppressive fire!" The soldier in the foxhole called out, causing all of his fellow troopers to sprout of their cover and fire at the enemy pill boxes in an attempt to diverge their fire away from Rachel and her group. It appeared to be successful as the dozen or so operatives managed to make it to cover unharmed.

"Where to now?" Abby questioned.

Rachel then looked out to the side of the rock. The enemy pill boxes were now only several yards away. She looked closer, trying to get a better view of enemy entrenchments without being spotted. Perfect she thought, the enemy soldiers were distracted by the KND soldiers who were providing suppressive fire.

"Numbuh 2, you got anything on you that can take out those enemy positions?" Rachel whispered.

Hoagie responded instantly, pulling out several grenades that resembled a tennis ball made out of a shiny metal. "Yeah I do, I got a couple of grenades I recently developed."

"Good, hand some to the others."

Hoagie passed the grenades around, making sure everyone at least had one.

"So how do you trigger these things off?" One of the soldiers questioned, examining the unusual weapon.

"There's a small detonation button that protrudes from the grenade. Be careful though, you only have 7 – 10 to get rid of it seconds before it goes off."

All the operatives carefully searched their grenades to find the protruding button.

"There seems to be a total of four enemy pill boxes just up head, on my command we throw our grenades into each of them." Rachel announced, trying to project her voice loud enough so that they could all hear through the sound of bullets traveling past them and hitting their cover.

All the operatives nodded.

Rachel quietly directed each member of her group which pillbox they would their grenades in. She then quietly gestured everyone to throw their grenades simultaneously, and at least two grenades landed into each pillbox.

The enemy soldiers were stunned, and were a bit confused by the shiny ball that just been thrown into their positions.

Suddenly a bright light emerged from the grenade, followed be a large pulsating energy blast that threw all the occupants in each of the pillboxes against the wall and nearly causing the structure to collapse. Where there was once the sound of machine gun fire was now replaced by an eerie silence. The only thing they could hear now was the sound of artillery in the distance as well as occasional gun shots.

"Looks clear." One of the S.R.S.S.T soldiers stated, peeking behind the rock.

One by one they exited the safety and cover of the boulder and slowly advanced where there were once four defined pillboxes. They inspected the badly damaged buildings, concluding that all the enemy occupants inside were now terminated. They then entered the compound, towards their objective.

The half a dozen S.R.S.S.T members went in first, followed Rachel and Sector V. The compound was awfully quiet and it almost felt like the enemy made a full scale retreat. The machine gun emplacements mounted on sandbags were completely abandoned, and several enemy vehicles looked completely deserted. Ammunition deposits still sat out under the cover of camouflaged nets, and the enemy command post seemed to be unoccupied.

As they descended deeper into the enemy base, they could hear a distinct sound close by. The sound of metal clanking on the ground and loud explosions coming from cannons suddenly became more defined. They were close to the enemy artillery.

As they quietly moved forward in the direction the sound, Rachel noticed something was unusual about the place. None of this was making any sense. Why would the enemy just leave such an important asset undefended?

"Something's not right…" She said to herself.

Just as she finished her sentence, one of the soldiers in front of them took a bullet to the forehead, instantly dropping him to the ground.

"Ambush!" One of the soldiers yelled out, checking his downed team mate. Too his surprise the boy was dizzy but still alive. The metal alloy that covered the new helmets saved him from being instantly killed.

The squad then retreated behind a sandbag, carefully looking to see where the shot came from.

They could spot nothing, until Rachel saw a faint light glimmering from the top of the enemy command post. She then grabbed a set of binoculars from her bag to get a closer view. As she zoomed in, she could make out what appeared to be a sniper.

"Sniper on top of the command post." She whispered to the entire group.

She quickly signaled one of the soldiers to take a shot at the sharp shooter.

The squad sniper quickly grabbed his rifle and aimed to the top of the building. Just as he was about to take the shot, a bullet hit him right in the shoulder. The force of the bullet threw him back a foot, and his 5 other squad mates quickly rushed over to evaluate his wounds.

"We need a medic!" shouted one of his comrades. The boy was bleeding right through his armor, which now had a large hole in it.

Numbuh 3 quickly ran over, her medic kit in hand. She quickly took out her equipment and carefully examined the wound.

"Is the bullet inside me?!" The wounded soldier asked, cringing at the pain.

"Nope, it went right through." Kuki replied, taking out some anti-biotic and bandages.

"Is it life threatening?" He questioned again.

"Not at all, you'll be fine! It's just a flesh wound, nothing more." Kuki answered back in a joyful voice. This caused the wounded soldier to relax a little.

"Wish more medics were as cute as you."

Kuki blushed, and Wally appeared to grow extremely jealous. If that boy wasn't wounded, he'd probably beat the living day lights out of him by now.

Rachel moved to look out from the cover of her sandbag. As she peeped over the protection, a bullet immediately hit the sandbag, causing her to immediately duck down back in safety.

"Crud, that sniper is zeroed in on us now, Numbuh 2 can you radio in additional support?"

"No can do sir, the division behind us can't advance unless the enemy artillery has been knocked out."

Rachel had to do something about that sniper and fast. For every minute they delayed, allied troops were being killed. She immediately grabbed the rifle the wounded soldier had dropped and looked out towards the direction of the sniper.

She could see him looking right at her, ready to pull the trigger. Without hesitation she shot the rifle, which zoomed towards the top of the command post.

She saw the bullet go right through the enemy snipers scope and straight into his head, killing him instantly. It was a perfect shot.

"Nice shot Rachel!" Nigel stated.

"Just lucky I guess…" she replied back. If she had pulled the trigger just a second later, she could've been on the receiving end of his bullet.

Rachel quickly got up, dusting the dirt off her uniform. "Guess we're ready to proceed to the artillery. Numbuh 3, did you patch the boy up yet?"

"Yeah, he can manage. He'll need to be sent to the field hospital after just to make sure there isn't anything I missed."

However, the situation wasn't over yet. Just as Nigel and his Sector exited the cover of the sandbag, the ground below them began to shake.

"Um… what's that sound?" Abby questioned.

They could hear the sound of metal tracks grinding together and the sound of boots stomping on the ground.

A tank soon appeared from behind the command post followed by a small platoon of enemy infantry.

The tank slowly turned its turret and took aim at Nigel.

"Numbuh 1 watch out!" Rachel yelled.

Nigel looked to see what the girl was talking about and laid his eyes upon the tank. The vehicle fired its main cannon which headed straight for him. He quickly jumped, evading the enemy shell which caused the ground he once stood upon to shoot up in the sky causing a rain of dirt.

"Get back to cover!" Nigel commanded his Sector.

They quickly ran back to the safety of the sandbag, which was being peppered with bullets from the enemy soldiers.

"This sandbag won't hold up against that enemy tank, we need to do something about it and fast!" Rachel suggested.

"Well we can't move really flank the damn thing either, it's covered by enemy infantry." Nigel pointed out.

Rachel took note, and raised her head slightly above the cover of the sandbag. She could spot several fuel barrels right next to the tank and the enemy infantry. The angle of the tank however, blocked her from getting a clear shot. If she could manage to cause an explosive chain reaction between the barrels, she could take out the tank.

"Still got those grenades Numbuh 2?"

"Yeah, only got a few left though. It's not effective against armored vehicles if that's what you want it for."

"Don't need it for that, quick hand it over."

Numbuh 2 handed her the grenade, and Nigel was curious to see what the girl had in mind.

"What are you going to do with it?" he questioned.

"You'll see." Rachel smirked.

The blonde girl pushed down on the button and quickly threw the grenade near the small stockpile of barrels. The enemy soldiers quickly fired at Rachel, and the sound of stray bullets whizzed past her, causing her to quickly duck down under the sandbag. Several seconds later, the grenade went off, causing the barrels to explode. The force of the explosion blew up the tank, causing it's turret to fly several feet over its chassis before it came back down. Most of the enemy platoon was either incinerated or thrown back from the blast, causing the remainder of them to pull back.

Unsure of the results, Rachel slowly lifted her head from the cover of the sandbag. All that was visible was the burning wreckage of the tank and the several bodies. It looked clear but she needed to make sure.

"Numbuh 4 take point over there, make sure there are no surprises." The Supreme Leader pointed to the burning hull of the enemy tank.

"But… Ugh, fine." Wally wanted to protect, but knew he couldn't argue with the blonde commander.

The Australian boy slowly moved away from the sandbag, slowly walking towards the wreckage. Wally then examined the wreckage of the tank, and checked the pulses of the Father's fallen soldiers.

"Clear!" he shouted.

One by one the operatives moved into the open, aiming their guns around the perimeter. It became apparent the platoon that had attacked them just minutes earlier had either pulled back or been completely eliminated.

The small squad then advanced closer to the enemy artillery. The sound of explosions and men loading shells into the large guns became much more deafening. They finally made it up to where they were only about a couple feet away from the enemy position.

There was a count of 10 heavy batteries, all which were capable of hitting anything on the West Coast of the continent. Rachel then loaded her gun, and took out the last grenade Numbuh 2 had brought along.

"On my mark, we attack." She whispered.

The other operatives nodded, and silently loaded their guns.

She took aim for one of the enemy soldiers head. Unexpectedly, the soldier looked back, spotting Rachel.

"Enemy attack!" The man replied, causing all the soldiers in the emplacement to scramble to their guns.

Rachel immediately pumped a round into the man's chest, and threw the grenade near one of the batteries. The grenade exploded near a dozen shells, causing a massive explosion that nearly blinded the squad of operatives. They could feel the intense heat on their skin.

"Kids Next Door battle stations!" Nigel yelled.

The dozen operatives jumped out of their cover and shot at any of the remaining soldiers.

Rachel knocked out one of the enemy troops, and shot another who was about to grab her from behind. Several feet away, Nigel and his sector as well as the 6 other soldiers were systematically taking out enemy soldiers who were attempting to retreat.

They cleared the position in less than 30 seconds, successfully routing the enemy artillery. The group then assessed the area in complete silence. They were interrupted by a loud supersonic boom above them. The operatives quickly turned to the sky, and could spot allied fighters zooming above them. Their arrival was soon accompanied by sound of KND tanks and foot soldiers moving into the base.

The allied troops quickly passed by, saluting them on the way. A jeep suddenly sped towards them containing Numbuh 60, who leaped out of the vehicle.

"Good job taking out the enemy artillery, our forces are now rapidly advancing across the West Coast."

"Excellent, what about the East Coast?" questioned Rachel.

"Nothin' but good news. Serena and her team have taken out key enemy defenses, allowing them to roll through the region with little resistance. Father's forces are also doing a full scale retreat back to Europe. North America has been taken"

"Finally." She muttered.

"Order the rest of the fleet orbiting to begin the global offensive, we have Father's armies on the run."

"Yes Sir!" Patton then saluted, quickly entering his jeep and driving off.

"Looks like things are finally turning in our favor now huh?" Nigel said as he came towards her.

"Yeah, looks like it."

As Nigel walked closer to the Rachel, he noticed strange movement in one of the bushes behind the girl. He looked at it intently, and then realized that a gun was pointing straight at her.

"Rachel watch out!" Nigel pointed, running at full speed.

He then heard a gunshot, and the bullet zoomed towards the unsuspecting girl. Nearby allied soldiers pummeled the bush with gunfire, and the perpetrator behind the bush soon fell out, dead. Everything happened in slow motion as he jumped in the front of the girl, barely arriving in time to block the bullet. Nigel suddenly felt a sharp pain hit his abdominal area as he hit the ground. He then put his hand on the source of the pain. As he brought his palm up towards his face, he saw that it was covered in blood.

Rachel was initially shocked, Nigel had saved her life. She then quickly ran towards him and held her wounded comrade tightly in her arms.

Nigel could see the girl's face, her hair and face being lit up by the sun that broke through the once thick clouds. He stared right into her eyes, getting one last good look at her, taking in every feature of her face. Everything suddenly started to become blurry, and the sounds around him started to become distorted. He tried to mutter out something, but ended up passing out due to the massive blood loss.

"Nigel, stay with me, Nigel… Nigel?! MEDIC!" Rachel shouted at the top of her lungs, Nigel's blood now soaking her sleeves.

…TRANSMISSION INTERRUPTED…


	12. Chapter 12: An Unexpected Turn

**I think it's probably been over a month since I last updated huh? Well after all the waiting here's the next installment! **

**I've been meaning to post this chapter earlier, but school got in the way.**

**Hope you all are enjoying!**

* * *

Chapter 12: An Unexpected Turn

...Connection Re-Established...

"The Kids Next Door seemed to have gained the upper hand in this war, and Father's defeat appears to be imminent. Are you sure it was wise of you turn against our only ally?" Chamenos questioned, as he looked up at the world map showing allied forces advancing from every corner of the globe.

Leader slouched back in his chair and smirked. "Ah, you seem to misunderstand. You see Father was merely an instrument of my plan."

"I don't quite understand." The boy was utterly confused.

"With Father's forces now on the run, it's only a matter of time before the Kids Next Door catch on to our plans." Chamenos added.

Leader grinned again. "Do not worry about that wretched organization, it is already much too late for them to stop my plans. Speaking of my plans, is the chamber fully operational?"

"Yes sir, all it requires is test subjects. What about the scientists we kidnapped?" Chamenos replied back, staring straight at his superior.

"Excellent, oh and as of the scientists…. Please dispose of them, I no longer require their services." The cold and calculated figure then gestured his subordinate to exit the room.

"As you wish…"

* * *

"He's in critical condition!" One of the medics yelled as he and his team rushed through the flaps of the makeshift hospital tent. Nigel was losing massive amounts of blood and fast. If they didn't stop the bleeding soon, the boy would die. Rachel and Sector V were following close behind, but were immediately stopped by several guards at the entrance of the tent.

"No unnecessary personal beyond this point, please stay back." The guard stated.

"What do you mean? Unnecessary personal?! I'm the Supreme Leader of the Kids Next Door! That's my friend in there!"

The guard then responded, this time without an intimidating voice. "I'm sorry, but I can't allow you beyond this point. Letting you guys in could possibly take up even more space that are needed for other wounded operatives. Besides it's a mess in there…"

Abby then put her shoulder on Rachel's. "I'm sure Nigel will be fine… He's been through worse."

However Abby's usually calm and sure voice sounded uneasy, like even she was scared for the legendary operative.

Rachel then stepped back, away from Sector V, and sat on a crate that had just been unloaded nearby. Her worst fear had finally become a reality. Because of her last minute decision to bring him to the front, Nigel was now seriously hurt.

She should've just followed her first decision she thought, which was to leave Nigel aboard a carrier or somewhere safe where he could command in safety. But now it was too late.

The girl couldn't get a grip on the events unfolding. She didn't realize the extent of intimacy she had with the boy until this point. Usually in situations like this, Nigel would be right there with her to help her cope with the growing stress. Just the sound of his voice was enough to keep her going, keep her from giving up hope. But now that he wasn't there, she wasn't sure what to think. She was lost and confused with no one to help guide her.

If Nigel couldn't be saved, she'd never be able to hold him again, see his face again, or hear his voice again. It finally hit her, if he did pass, she'd never be able to confess the feelings that had slowly developed in her during this whole journey.

It was at this point did her emotions begin pouring out. Rachel's silent sadness transformed into a noticeable sob, and several of the other operatives nearby noticed, but were too busy tending to their own duties.

A Scottish voice then called her name from behind, followed by a hand that touched her shoulder.

"Is everything ok Rachel?"

No one called her by that name except those closest to her. Rachel attempted to wipe off the tears, hoping that no one would notice her depressed state and slowly turned to the owner of the voice.

"What are you doing here Fanny?"

"Her' on clean' up operations, ye sure did make quite a mess."

"Oh I see." The blonde girl turned away from Fanny and stared into the muddy ground.

"Hey, I heard what happened to Nigel…"

Rachel then let down another silent tear.

"Fanny… it's all my fault, I'm the reason why he's hurt. I should've been the one shot not him!"

Fanny attempted to calm the girl down. Even though she didn't always like Numbuh 1, she knew this whole time that her best friend had feelings for the boy.

"Don't beat yourself up; he did what he had to do. He saved your life Rachel, I'm sure you would have done the same if you were in his shoes."

Rachel continued to look away from Fanny. Realizing that her friend needed some time alone, she decided to turn away and began walking in the opposite direction.

"Well, I gotta get back to my post, see ya' round Rachel. Don't let this affect ye' leadership role of the KND, we still have a war to fight."

The Scottish girl picked up her pace and resumed barking orders at her soldiers.

Several minutes passed before another event caught Rachel's attention. Numbuh 60 quickly ran up to Rachel, apparently bringing urgent news.

"Supreme Leader! I have some unusual news for you."

Rachel attempted to hide her face and blink away the emerging tears that were about to pour out of her eyes "What is it Numbuh 60?"

"Well… hey are you ok?" Patton could hear the girl sniffing and noticed that she seemed to be shielding her face.

"Um… Yeah, just the fuel exhausts from all these vehicles are beginning to irritate me, that's all"

"Oh, well the man who shot Nigel… he doesn't appear to be one of Fathers…"

Rachel's head quickly picked up on the words that just came out of the Commanders mouth.

"Well then who is he from?"

"I think you better take a look yourself." Patton quickly gestured Rachel to follow her.

About two minutes later, they arrived at the site where Nigel was shot.

Several S.R.S.S.T members set up a perimeter around the area, making sure the scene remained untouched, only giving access to operatives who were granted permission to the site.

Around the fallen unknown soldier was a team of analysis, who were quickly taking samples of the unique armor.

"So why'd you bring me here Patton?" Rachel questioned

Patton then pointed at the body, which had extremely unusual characteristics, one that she was not familiar with, until she really thought about it.

A gas mask combined with a helmet, a long robe, and an armband that had the same emblem she had been seeing. It was a Hasayan soldier.

Rachel knew that this was by no accident.

"What the… have you guys found anything on this guy?"

"Yeah… this guy has some pretty fancy tech on him, some infrared goggles, extremely complex armor, and some other advanced technology our scientists are analyzing."

"Well, keep searching him, notify me if you find anything else peculiar." Patton nodded and saluted, quickly leaving the scene.

Rachel on the other hand, thought briefly about the fallen Hasayan. It's obvious that this was planned by whoever this "Leader" guy was, but why? She shrugged it off, as her thoughts quickly shifted to Nigel. She immediately hustled towards the hospital tent, hoping that maybe he was alright.

She arrived at the tent, eager to hear news of the wounded boy. Rachel approached a medic who was standing outside keeping track on who exited and entered the field hospital.

"Is there a boy under "Numbuh 1" still in there?" Rachel questioned eagerly.

The medic quickly flipped through several pages which was filled with the names of injured operatives when he finally stopped and located the child in question.

"Ah yes, apparently he was relocated to the recovery tent right over there." The medic pointed to a large tent which was constantly being filled with wounded personal from the field hospital. In most circumstances, one tent would suffice for operatives being worked on by doctors as well as those recovering, but casualties were so high they needed to separate the two.

"Ok, well thanks." The blonde girl left quickly, and the medic nodded as a sign of respect to his Supreme Leader.

Rachel quickly walked towards the recovery tent, and upon arrival, found operatives who were missing limbs, suffering from shellshock, and covered in bandages. She quickly looked around, searching for the bald headed boy she came for.

A doctor came out from one of the curtains which was covering a patient. He quickly approached her, his gloves almost entirely red from blood.

"Good thing you came."

She was confused, why did the doctor say such a statement?

"Um, excuse me, but why is that?"

"I'm assuming you're her for Numbuh 1 correct?"

Rachel nodded, trying to mask any emotions she was feeling at that moment. She was so worried about Nigel that it was a miracle she was able to respond back at all in a calm manner.

"Yeah… well… how's he doing?"

"Not very well actually… we stopped the bleeding but he's lost so much blood there's a good chance he won't…"

"Survive huh? Is that what you came out for? To look for me and tell me that he's going die?"

The blonde commander's emotions got the better of her, but she stopped before she spewed out anymore words.

"No, that's just a worst case scenario. We're currently trying to stabilize his conditions but we're having great difficulty doing so. I'm surprised he's still even alive at all to tell you the truth Supreme Leader."

A brief silence came between the doctor and Rachel, before the doctor continued.

"You know… if it makes you feel any better, not too long ago he woke up suddenly and called out your name, asking where you were. We couldn't make out what he was trying to say, but I think the message was he wanted to make sure you were safe."

Despite Nigel facing the possibility of death, he was still thinking about her, making sure she was out of harm's way. This thought invaded the girl's mind and she stood their quiet for a few seconds.

"Can… Can I see him?" She asked hesitantly.

"Not right now, it's a blood bath in there. We'll call you when he's ready."

Rachel nodded and quietly exited the recovery tent.

* * *

"What do you mean we're losing this war?!" Father violently lashed out at his remaining commanders.

A veteran commander soon stood out from the group and began to speak up.

"They hit back at us hard. We couldn't have predicted a counter-attack of such magnitude. We're vastly outgunned, and outnumbered, and with our energy cannons now gone there's nothing we can do to stop them."

Father rubbed the back of his head and looked at a map showing his remaining forces as well as the advancing allies. He looked at the map carefully, his commanders were right. The Kids Next Door have already taken North America, and were currently sweeping across Europe. Around the world Father was losing on all fronts, and the allies were now closing in. It would only be a matter of weeks before they managed to reach Moscow, Father's main HQ and base of operations.

It was now clear. Father would lose this war unless they managed to produce some type of miracle, but even that was out of the question. Earlier in the war, Father's forces were vastly superior compared to their KND counterparts, but it seems that has changed. The KND have managed to out produce their enemy, and have built much more technologically superior equipment and vehicles. Their soldiers were now much more trained and battle-hardened.

No matter what angle Father looked at the situation, it was obvious that things were falling apart for him.

But he couldn't admit that to his commanders.

"I want you to send our most elite armored divisions and forces to launch one last counter attack on all allied forces in Europe and Asia."

"Are you sure…?" one commander questioned.

Father glared at him with cold eyes, and the group of generals all nodded and quickly left the room.

He radioed in Cree, who was basically held in reserve due to her recent 'failure'.

"Cree, I would like you to find out the location of this so called, hidden Hasayan Arctic facility."

"Fine with me." She responded back.

"Good, this is your chance to redeem yourself, do not fail me again. Father out."

* * *

Rachel was sitting outside the recovery tent by herself in complete silence. Despite having a war to fight, she couldn't distract her mind from Nigel. He sacrificed himself for her, and that thought alone constantly stabbed at her mind and soul like a million daggers. She took a few more minutes of silence before she decided to redirect her thoughts to the war effort.

She walked to the makeshift KND command post that just hours ago, was used by the enemy to rein down artillery shells on their advancing armies. The place was busy with communication directors, and decryption machines that would intercept and decode any enemy transmissions.

Amidst the hectic command post, she spotted Patton, Chester, and several other commanders and newly appointed admirals all in a heavily guarded room discussing something.

Strange, there must be something extremely important to discuss if a group of VIP's were all in one room risking the chance of getting hit by random strays of enemy bombardment. She decided to see what was going on, and immediately walked up to the entrance of the room. Being the Supreme Leader of the KND, the guards automatically granted her full permission to enter.

"Numbuh 362! We were just about to call you in." Patton yelled from across the room.

In the middle of the room was a holographic map of the world, which showed that the KND had recaptured a large portion of Europe as well as most of Asia. The rest of the world also seemed to have been recaptured by allied forces. The map showed promising results, and Rachel began having high hopes that the war would be brought to a swift end.

"Don't be fooled by such deceiving results, this war is far from over." Numbuh 1942 interrupted.

"What, what do you mean? Father has little control over Europe and his last stronghold appears to be located in Russia."

"Unfortuantely, just minutes ago, our forces in both Europe and Asia report a fierce counter attack by Father in a last ditch effort to halt our advance. As it stands, we are currently holding them off but sustaining heavy casualties. Even if we repel the counter attack, we project casualties would reach the hundreds of thousands by the time we manage to capture Moscow and conclude this war."

Rachel was stunned, she had never faced a time where she would have to sacrifice the lives of so many operatives. Usually she had a choice, but this time she didn't. It had appeared to her that the only way they would win the war was by pushing forward, by any means necessary.

Rachel turned to the door and saluted. "I see… well reinforce those areas and hold off the enemy attack. Notify me of any updates on the front."

Just before she exited the door, Patton called out to her.

"Wait Supreme Leader! I also have another thing I needed to inform you about."

Rachel turned away from the door and walked towards Numbuh 60. "Well, what is it commander?"

Patton quickly pulled out a piece of paper that contained a map of some sort. Rachel quickly inspected it and was confused.

"Where did you find this Numbuh 60?"

"We found it off the soldier who shot Nigel, it appears that the facility on that map is located somewhere in Northern Alaska."

Rachel thought about it for a minute, and then it finally hit her. The Arctic facility that they have been looking for was now being shown on this map. But the girl sensed that something was not right. Why would the Hasayan's be so careless as to send one of their soldiers with a map showing the exact location of their base? Perhaps their main objective wasn't to shoot Nigel after all she thought. But if that wasn't their intent, what was?

"I want you to ship Numbuh 900 here A.S.A.P. As soon she as flies in, I want to be flown in near the area marked on the map."

"But… Supreme Leader, we can't spare anymore of our forces." Numbuh 60 interjected.

"I'm not asking for any additional support, what I'm asking is that you simply send me and Numbuh 900 to this base."

Patton began to feel that Rachel was beginning to lose it, and maybe it was because Nigel was shot. "But… but what? We can't risk sending you alone over there! We still have a war to fight."

"Ugh, I don't have time to explain."

"It's the Hasayans isn't it?" Numbuh 1942's voice suddenly broke into the conversation.

"How do you know about them Numbuh 1942…?" Rachel questioned.

"That organization a few years back. I heard they tried to take over the KND, and despite having little support from most of the operatives, they still managed to meet in secret, conducting unspeakable experiments out in some top secret facility somewhere near the Arctic Circle."

Numbuh 60 and the other commanders were puzzled. "What the, Hasayans? What the hell are you talking about?" Patton said.

"And how the hell do you know about the Hasayans Numbuh 1942?" Rachel was beginning to become suspicious of the admiral.

"Before I became an admiral, I was the leading director of all S.R.S.S.T operations. I was the one responsible for ordering that strike on that Arctic facility."

"What the?! How come you didn't tell us and come we didn't know this before?!" Now things were getting even more complex Rachel thought.

"The identity of the Director is kept secret for obvious reasons, and even operatives who are under the S.R.S.S.T branch don't even know who is in charge."

"So why come out and tell us this now Numbuh 1942?" Rachel questioned, while everyone else in the room remained silent.

"Because, I feel partly responsible for their continued existence."

Now everyone in the room was extremely stumped. What the heck was Chester rambling about they all thought.

"Explain." Rachel gestured.

Chester cleared his throat and continued.

"The Hasayans scared global command out of their minds, and as soon as we attacked the base and it had appeared that they were finally eliminated, global command quickly dropped the subject, hoping that it would all become just one big bad memory."

"So how are you responsible?"

"Because, I could've authorized closer inspection of the base and even issued another strike, but instead I called it off, believing that the job had been done."

"I see, well I guess now is the time to finally end it." Rachel added.

"You think can you can get S.C.A.M.P.E.R to fly us into these exact coordinates?" The blonde girl handed the admiral a map. He scanned it and quickly nodded.

"Yeah, but it's in some pretty rough terrain. Plus we have little intelligence on the Hasayans. The last time we pulled through with this type of mission, Numbuh 900 was the only survivor."

"I'm aware of the risks, but someone has to do it. Patton, you'll be in control until I return from this mission." The young blonde girl shifted her voice towards Numbuh 60.

Patton saluted and quickly turned to exit the war room.

"The rest of you, I want you guys to keep up what you're doing and inform me of any more developing situations regarding the war, that is all." She then quickly exited the room.

After the meeting, Rachel found herself at Nigel's bedside. He was still unconscious, and the sound of air pumps and machines keeping him stable flooded the room.

She picked up his hand, which felt cold and weak.

"I'm so sorry Nigel…" A tear slowly fell down her face. She remained there at his side for hours until Serena had finally arrived from the East Coast.

* * *

"Hasayan Arctic facility has been found, and infiltration was a success. The Teen Ninjas are now in position, Leader in site." Cree radioed in to Father.

"Kill him." He responded back.

Cree and her men quickly leaped out of hiding behind Leader who was staring at a holographic image of Earth that illuminated his face.

The room was almost pitch black, and the only source of light they had was the hologram of Earth in the middle of the room.

"I'm assuming Father has sent you here to kill me." Leader stated, his voice echoing through the empty corridors of the room.

"Yeah… time to put you out of your misery you brat." Cree mocked.

Leader laughed, confusing Cree and her men.

"What's so funny?" Cree questioned, unsure why the boy was laughing at his certain death.

"This." Leader snapped, and quickly all the lights in the room turned on revealing 100's of Hasayan soldiers pointing their guns at the small group of Teen Ninjas. The eye lids of their gas masks were glowing a deep red, and their heavy armor was much too thick for any of the weapons the teens were carrying.

"Go figure." Cree and her squad quickly raised their weapons and waited for the enemy to strike first.

Leader suddenly snapped again, and the sound of gun fire could be heard throughout the facility…

...TRANSMISSION INTERRUPTED...


	13. Chapter 13: Revalation

Chapter 13: Revalation

...Connection Re-Established...

The bald headed operative found himself walking in heavy snow alone, unsure how he got there or where he was.

"How the hell did I end up here?" Nigel thought to himself. Everything felt so strange, so out of place.

He continued walking through the winter night until he stumbled upon a peculiar structure. It was a small hill, with a large metal door equiped to one of it's sides. It appeared to be open.

Despite heavy protesting from his mind, the boy felt a strange pull on him, almost like something or someone was telling him to enter the building. The operative was drawn to the strange structure, and finally found himself several feet from the entrance. He attempted to raise the gun he thought he was carrying, but to his surprise it was not there. His hands were bare, and he quickly realized that he had no equipment or weapons. He found this situation to be a bit disturbing, why would he go into unknown territory without even carrying the slightest means by which he could use to defend himself? He shrugged the thought, and entered the compound carefully.

Upon entry, the once pitch black corridor lit up, and led to a bright white light at it's end. He walked slowly, the sound of his footsteps echoing throughout the hallways.

Several minutes later, he found himself in a large circular white room. It appeared to be high tech, perhaps a lab of some sort. Only seconds after his arrival, he heard a large clank, followed by a capsule being lowered from the ceiling. He then prepared himself for the worst, and took a combat ready position despite being weaponless.

The capsule finally stopped, and opened, the smoke coming out obscuring the boys vision. After the smoke cleared, he found the capsule was empty. Nothing was making sense at all to him, everything felt so odd.

Suddenly, he felt a pull on his mind that convinced him to enter the capsule. It was the same force that drew him into strange structure in the first place. He then found himself standing in the capsule, confused about what was going on around him. Almost instantly after the doors to the capsule locked him in, he began to hear the sound of something power up. It occured to him that perhaps that this was a trap. The sound then stopped, followed by a brief silence. A bright white light soon lit up the confinements of the capsule, catching Nigel by surprise.

The white light blinded the operative, and he suddenly began feeling consciousness slowly leave his body...

* * *

"We'll be arriving at the destination shortly." The pilot announced through the S.C.A.M.P.E.R

Serena glanced at Rachel, who was looking more concentrated than ever. The blonde was determined to put an end to the Hasayan's for good, especially since they were responsible for hurting Nigel. Things were becoming much more personal now.

Rachel looked outside of the craft window and could see nothing but white snow falling onto the ground. Weather conditions were extremely unfavorable causing visibility to become close to zero. This caused a bit of uncertainty in the girl and she thought if weather didn't get them, perhaps the Hasayans will.

The S.C.A.M.P.E.R abruptly landed, causing the two girls to become confused.

"We're still far off from the planned landing point, why are you stopping now?" Questioned Rachel to the pilot

"This is the farthest we can take you, that blizzard is wreaking havoc on the ship's navigation system."

Rachel sighed and quickly turned to Serena to signal her to start preparing their equipment. The two began suiting up in their thermal suits and put on snow masks to keep them warm even in sub-zero degree temperatures. They also equiped a set of goggles that would allow them to read heat signatures despite the blinding snow. Rachel then grabbed her rifle, made sure it was loaded and through the gun back on her shoulder.

Serena did the same, grabbing her sword and the two pistols that seemed to be more up to military standard compared to the now out-dated 2x4 tech previously used by the organization. At this point in the war, 2x4 equipment was now replaced by new technologies that were much more advanced and deadly. Weapons and vehicles were now much more uniformed and kept to standard, making maintenance and production much more efficient.

"You sure you two want to continue with the mission? The weather is only getting worse."

Rachel turned to the pilot and nodded. The pilot then opened the door to the ship, and cold wind quickly gushed. Serena went out first, making sure the landing zone was clear, then gestured for Rachel to follow along. Immediately after they exited, the S.C.A.M.P.E.R took off, leaving the two stranded in the winter wonderland until the mission was complete.

They followed the coordinates given to them on the map, which brought them through a large forest that produced an errie feeling in both operatives. The sound of the wind and snow howling in between the trees almost sounded like whispers, and the branches protruding from the vegetation almost appeared human. Something was off about this place, and despite no heat signatures popping up in their thermal vision, they felt like someone or something was watching them. It felt like something almost paranormal, but the two quickly ignored it, focusing their minds on the mission at hand.

The first few minutes were uneventful, until Serena picked up a signature just 15 feet ahead of them. It was running towards them, and Serena quickled brought up her sword.

"Shh, stay still." Serena whispered to Rachel.

The heat signature got closer and closer, until it finally got to about only 5 feet in front of them.

"Oh go figure, first I lose my entire squad to some nuthead, then I run into a bunch of KND dorks in the middle of a blizzard. This isn't my day isnt it?"

Rachel immediately recognized her voice, and instantly took aim at the figure.

"Put your hands up, or I blast your head off." She ordered

"What the hell are you doing here anyway?" Serena questioned, inching her sword closer and closer to the teen.

"I was here to kill that psychotic Leader guy, he turned against us awhile back. My squad got ambushed, and I barely managed to get out of there alive."

"What happened in there?" the brown haired girl asked.

"Look you know what I don't have time to explain, why don't you just let me go and we'll call it even eh?" Cree was itching to get out of the area, and she was willing to compromise with the two operatives if that's what it would take.

Rachel had other plans in her head though. She was just about to pull the trigger until Serena gently pushed her gun down.

"We don't have time for this, the mission we're on is far more important."

"But she tried to kidnap me and Nigel, hell she even tried kidnapping you!'

"Like I said, the mission is far more important." Serena replied.

Rachel sighed, lowered her gun and pointed her head in the other direction, allowing Cree to quickly flee the scene.

* * *

The boy woke up in a white room that seemed to be endless. He also be appeared to be wearing a strange suit of some sort, almost resembling those of astronauts.

He was deeply confused, he couldn't even remember how he got himself into this predicament in the first place.

"Is anyone there?" Nigel called out, his voice echoing through what seemed to be like a never ending white plane.

No response.

"Hello? Is anyone there?!" He called out again.

No response.

Nigel began to feel frustrated, what the hell was going on here he thought. Were the Hasayan's or Father probing into his mind, forcing him to stay in his unconscious while his body lay in sleep in some sort of test lab in the real word?

His thoughts were suddenly interrupted when he looked behind him.

He lay his eyes upon a strange figure, but he couldn't quite make it out if it was a person or not. He walked closer, and when he got within 10 feet of it, it disappeared. Now he was getting really stressed out.

"Ok seriously, who the hell is playing these tricks on me?! Reveal yourself!"

Suddenly a bright golden orb appeared in front of him.

"Nigel Uno, we've been meaning to have a talk with you for quite some time now."

Nigel was stunned, now he was really confused. Now an orb was talking to him, he wouldn't be surprised if his face started melting off at this point.

"Who the hell are you? How do you know me? And who the hell is we?!" He questioned.

"No time to explain, everything will make sense in due time."

"What do you want from me?" The boy asked.

The orb was silent, until the voice began talking again.

"We've been observing you for a long time, your skills are exceptional, and the companionship you share towards your fellow comrades is great trait indeed. Your service to the Kids Next Door has been invaluable, but you will soon find yourself destined for greatness."

"Um... thank you, but what does that have to do with anything?" Nigel was now even more bewildered.

"That will began to make sense as you continue your journey, but I believe you will need help with a threat your home world now faces."

Ok, he was wrong, things could get stranger. What the hell did he just say 'home world'? Was he talking to an alien?

The orb continued. "Yes, the Hasayan's, we know about them. However, I do believe that you will need some help defeating them.

"Huh? How so?" Nigel commented back.

"When this is discussion is over, you will find the answer to that question. You'll know when to use this item once the time arises. Now I do believe that a friend dear to you is in trouble. Her name is Rachel if I'm not mistaken."

The orb suddenly began to levitate higher and lose it's bright golden shine.

"Wait how do you know? Who are you?! What item?! I don't understand anything that's going on!" Nigel yelled.

"It'll all make sense in due time. Good luck Nigel Uno, we will meet again very soon,"

"Wait how do I get out of here?!" Nigel shouted at the orb before it fully disappeared.

Now he was alone in the endless white plane again unsure what to do. He stood there on the verge of breaking down, what if he was trapped in this endless existance for all eternity? The orb being told him Rachel was in trouble, but it failed to tell him how to get back to her.

After several minutes of silence, he turned to his left and spotted a familiar figure who had their back facing towards him.

No... it couldn't be he thought to himself. He walked closer, squinting to see who it was. It began to become clear to him. He then began frantically running towards the figure, yelling out the person in question's name.

"Rachel, I'm here look back!"

As he ran closer, the girl appeared to ignore him until he got within 5 feet behind her.

She suddenly looked back, and made eye contact with Nigel. Everything suddenly began to turn black, and he felt as though his mind was being shifted to another reality...

* * *

"We're getting closer, I'm starting to remember now." Serena said as they broke out of the forest.

"According to the map, it says we're right in front of it." Rachel answered back.

Serena stopped, and look at the clearing. It was all starting to come back to her. This is the clearing where she remembered her and her team was dropped, but if her memory served her well, the base should be right here. It didn't make sense, all that was in the clearing was a small hill, and a bunch of scattered bushes.

"Wait a minute..." Rachel inspected the small hill, and quickly brushed off some of the snow on it. The more snow was removed, the more it became apparent that it was the entrance to something.

"I think we found it..." Rachel announced to Serena

In front of them was a large door way, with a Hasayn symbol stamped in the front it.

"After you." Serena said.

Rachel patted Serena on the back.

"Hey, you sure your fine going on with the mission? You can still turn back."

"I'm sure... besides, I want to see an end to this miserable organization..."

The two then opened the door way, and then closed it shut. They found themselves entering into a large hallway, which was dark only for a brief moment before the row of lights began turning on one by one.

"Watch your back, they could be anywhere." Rachel whispered as she cautiously grabbed the rifle she was carrying on her back.

"Yeah..." The hallways were so familiar to her, and she remembered the time when her, Aiden, and the rest of their team infilitrated this very same place.

Rachel and Serena continued down the hallway, until they finally reached a door way to located to their left. They looked through the window, and it appeared to be a large study room.

"Let's go check it out." Rachel suggested. Serena nodded, and Rachel quietly pushed the door opened. It was empty, and no one seemed to be guarding the room. Around them surrounded a multitude of bookshelves and charts as well as pictures of the human anatomy.

Rachel then spotted an empty desk that contained a lone book on top of it. She then picked it up, and began flipping the pages.

"Wonder what this could contain." Rachel whispered to herself as she opened the book. It appeared to be a journal of some sort, and the writing inside it quickly caught her attention.

_March 21st, 2014,_

_Today Leader has requested a meeting with a figure known as "Father." apparently he plans to forge an alliance with the man, in hopes of weakening the Kids Next Door. I'm not exactly sure what his motive is, but I believe Leader knows what's best for the future of mankind. Leader has also began installing the final pieces to his so called 'Chamber'. I keep asking him what it does, but he merely smirks and tells me that in time I will see..."_

Rachel then eagerly turned to the next page.

_April 15th, 2014,_

_Father has finally declared war on the Kids Next Door, and Leader insists that his plans are now in the final phases. I was also asked to deliver several energy cannons to Father's armies in hopes that it would help bring a quick end to the conflict. The KND scientists we have kidnapped have also very intently worked on Leader's machine he continues to refer as the 'Chamber'. Of course, I would too if a gun was pointed at my head. _

_Lately, I've also been having strange visions. They started occurring ever since I took a closer look at the bracelet that was on my wrist that had embedded on it "Death before Dishonor". I was always aware it was there, but I was never quite sure how it got into my posession. Anyway, these visions, it was almost like I was someone else in a past life. I can't quite explain them... all I can is their... strange._

Rachel turned to the next page, after reading the last page, she began to figure out who this journal belonged too.

_April 30th, 2014,_

_The war seems to be going in Father's favor, and with the total withdrawal of Kids Next Door forces from Earth, it appears to be drawing to a close. Just yesterday, I was assigned to kidnap their Supreme Commander, the infamous Numbuh 1, and a peculiar girl named Serena, also known as Number 900. The mission failed, and Leader was suprisngly leniant and let me off without punishment. _

_This Serena girl though... when I first set my eyes on her, something in my brain clicked. It was almost like another person inside me was begging to pour out, and I couldn't help to feel that I knew her. It was odd, and ever since then these visions in my head have began to become much more frequent and stronger. I'm starting to question the very fabric of my being, my purpose, and most of all, Leader's strange Chamber..._

The girl attempted to read further, but was stopped by Serena. The sound of the door creaking opening forced the girl to react fast.

"Someone's coming! Quick, hide!" Serena whispered to Rachel.

Rachel nodded, and set down the book in the same exact position and location she found it.

They hid behind a set of bookshelves, and peeked in between the spaces of the books. They could see a well-polished teen entering, but it wasn't Leader.

"Who is it?" Rachel questioned.

Serena just stared in silence, unable to comprehend the site of the boy before her. She was unresponsive, and froze. It was Aiden, well in physical form. The boy she knew was long gone, trapped inside the mind of an alternate person known as Chamenos.

* * *

_…I'm so sorry Nigel… _

The sound of the voice caused the wounded combatant to quickly rise out of his bed, gasping for air. He looked around, searching for the owner of the voice. He must've been dreaming, but all of it felt so real.

"Rachel…" he sighed. Nigel thought he was going crazy, was he hearing things, or was that really her? After all, she was the last person he saw before his 'dream' ended.

The leader of Sector V then attempted to get up from his bed when he suddenly felt a sharp pain coming from his abdominal area. He quickly clenched his stomach and noticed that the white bandage that was covering the wound was soaked in blood. It was at this point that Nigel called out for assistance.

"Nurse, doctor, anyone!" he yelled out in a weak and fragile voice.

A doctor quickly ran in upon hearing his request. He then urged Nigel to sit back down and took a look at the boys wound. The doctor quickly applied pressure onto the small hole, covered it with a new bandage and then finally inserted more morphine into the boy to help relieve the pain.

"Much better…" Nigel sighed.

The room was silent for a minute before Nigel remembered why he received the wound in the first place.

"Where's Rachel?!" He was on the verge of panicking, and the machine monitoring his heart rate began to quickly accelerate to dangerous levels.

"Woah, relax there buddy." The doctor answered back.

"She's fine, you saved her life you know." The doctor added before leaving the room.

"You didn't answer my question!" Nigel yelled

Two figures then entered the room, and he quickly recognized who they were.

"Numbuh 1942 and Numbuh 60, what are you two doing here?"

"Here to check in on you, orders from Numbuh 362." Patton replied back.

"Where is she?" Nigel was becoming more worried by the minute. Patton's sentence implied that Rachel was currently not present.

"We can't tell you that right now, Rachel insisted that you rest until you get better." Numbuh 1942 answered back, glancing at Numbuh 60.

"But I am better, now can you guys just answer my question?"

Numbuh 1942 sighed, and rubbed the back of his head. "I'm not sure if I should be telling you this… but she went on a mission with Numbuh 900 to help put an end to the Hasayan's…"

Nigel was speechless. The mission she was going on was sure suicide.

"Where is this base?" he asked weakly.

"Somewhere in Northern Alaska, but you're in no position to go there right now, you still need to recover from your wounds." Patton interrupted.

"I don't care about me! Our Supreme Leader is in danger, I can't just let her and Numbuh 900 go there alone!"

Nigel attempted to gather his strength, and surely but slowly got out of his bed. The two operatives quickly moved into help him up, but he just shrugged them away.

"I want a S.C.A.M.P.E.R to take me there right now, just give me some gear and I'm good to go."

The two shook their heads.

"Please, I didn't risk my life for her for nothing. I can do this!"

Numbuh 1942 looked at Numbuh 60. Deep inside, Numbuh 1942 wanted to let Nigel go, even he knew that Rachel would need help. The two commanders stared at each other, until Numbuh 60 finally agreed to let the boy go.

"If you're going to go, at least take your Sector with you." Patton suggested.

Nigel nodded.

"We'll have a ship waiting for you as soon as your ready." Numbuh 1942 commented before leaving with Patton.

After the two left, the bald headed operative took a deep breath. He moved his hand and quickly noticed that he appeared to be holding something. He brought his hand up to his face, and found a solid metallic cube in his palm. The cube was extremely reflective, and he could see the strange metal alloy move in a constant subtle motion. Strange he thought, could this be connected to that strange dream he had?

Was it even a dream he had just experienced?

...TRANSMISSION INTERRUPTED...


	14. Chapter 14: Uncertain Fate

**Hey everyone! Sorry for the updates taking alot longer then they used too. Been super busy with school and life in general. ****I've also taken a long time because I felt that I needed to develop the characters more, especially Nigel and Rachel. I'm trying to develop the couple without making this one of those "fluff" fanfics (nothing wrong with those, just not my style of writing). **

**I'd like to take a moment to once again thank all of the people who have favorited, followed, reviewed, and are currently reading my story. I really appreciate it.**

**I'm sure many of you who are big fans of 1x362 will enjoy this chapter! **

* * *

Chapter 14: Uncertain Fate

...Connection Re-Established...

Far above the chaos and destruction that was unfolding on Earth below, several KND commanders and scientists stationed on the Moon Base were posted in a large control room, awaiting to witness the final outcome of their years of hard work. They were part of a secret program known only as "Project: ZEUS", and was kept even unknown to the Supreme Leader. It was ordered by global command when it became apparent that the Kids Next Door would need to posses something in it's arsenal that would provide as a deterrent to hostile powers as well as a way to launch a pre-emptive strike on any enemy targets.

The personal in the room were performing last minute inspections of the project, and if proved successful, would mean a new era in history and a swift end to the war. There were many possible dangers that could arise if the weapon in question became unstable. Many scientists who worked on the project had many theories, ranging from the weapon being a total dud, all the way to opening a black hole that would spell the end of mankind.

The weapon was being tested on the other side of the Moon, which was open and barren, a perfect place to test a weapon. The weapon came in the form of a satellite, mounted with a large rail gun. Several cameras were placed around the target perimeter, which would allow the operatives to observe the weapon's capabilities without being put in harms way. Of course, if the weapon did open a black hole like some speculated, it wouldn't matter where they were on the Moon anyway.

Around the control room were several large screens that were receiving feedback from the camera's mounted on the satellite. After the final preparations were complete, the scientist in charge of the project then nodded at one of the commanders, who then signaled for the control room personal to begin powering up this strange weapon.

A voice then signaled over the intercom in the control room as well as outside of the Moon Base, warning any stray operatives who might've been in the weapon's target area to evacuate immediately.

"15%"

"45%"

"80%"

"100%"

"Weapons systems engaged."

In front of the commander lay a holographic monitor, which gave him the option to fire or to disengage the rail gun. The commander thought about it, what he was about to do would change the course of history, for better or worse.

He then pushed on the button that would fire the weapon.

Several seconds later, the cameras showed a large pulsating energy blast shot out by the satellite, which then hit the targeted area.

Almost immediately upon contact, the surface of the dark surface of the Moon was replaced with a blinding white light, which reached all the way to the Moon Base.

The operatives witnessed in both horror and amazement at their new creation. The impact caused Lunar debris to fly up into the air, creating a massive white cloud that spewed out into space.

The results were shocking.

The destruction it left was even more powerful then that of a nuclear bomb. The target area, which was flat and barren, was now a large crater several miles wide.

It was at this moment did the Kids Next Door realize what they had truly created.

* * *

"Serena get down!" Rachel forcefully grabbed Serena and laid her on the ground. She had never seen Serena caught off guard like this ever before.

"For god sake, what were you thinking?!"

"Sorry, just got a little distracted." Serena responded back softly.

Rachel looked out in between a set of books and spotted the individual Serena was staring at. It was Chamenos, which explained why the girl was unresponsive.

She felt sympathy for the girl. It must be extremely tough and heartbreaking going back to the very place where she lost the one most dear to her.

Rachel couldn't imagine losing the person closest to her in such a tragic way. She couldn't comprehend the feeling of sadness and loss that Serena was feeling at this current moment.

"Hey, like you said, that isn't him anymore right?" Rachel whispered, hoping to snap Serena out of her shocked state.

"Yeah... I guess." Serena answered back.

They watched as the boy quickly headed towards the desk where his journal sat on.

"So that's where I left it." he muttered to himself before pacing back to the doorway.

Just as he was about to leave the large room, he abruptly stopped. He then turned back, and scanned the room. He felt like someone was watching him, causing him to turn around fully and briefly scan the room. This caused the two KND operatives to stay completely still and nearly hold their breaths.

He walked five steps back into the room before a Hasayan soldier came into the room, interrupting the boys search.

"Leader requests your presence."

Chamenos sighed, and followed the soldier. The boy looked back one last time, nearly making eye contact with Serena.

"Probably just my imagination." He whispered to himself right when he exited the room.

The door closed, and the two finally let out the air that was building up in their lungs.

"Geeze that was close, next time can you please warn me if your going to have an episode of Post-traumatic stress?" Rachel joked patting Serena on the back.

Serena didn't laugh, and looked down towards the cold and marble floor.

"Hey, cheer up girl, we got a mission to do."

The brown haired girl agreed and quickly straightened her stance.

"Have any idea how we can get out of here?" Serena asked, looking around for any potential exits.

"Well I'd say we go back the way we came, but I think there might be some of Leaders men in those halls."

Rachel scanned the room, and finally looked above one of the bookshelves. Just above it was a vent, which was large enough to fit both of them. There was also the posibility that it could potentially go through the entire underground facility.

Rachel called Serena and pointed to the top of the bookshelf where the vent was located.

"Hey, Serena help me up there yeah? I think I found a way out of this room."

Serena nodded and the two hustled quickly towards the vent.

* * *

A lone S.C.A.M.P.E.R quickly zoomed over the Alaskan landscape, flying just above the tree tops to avoid any possible enemy detection.

"You gotta be freakin' kidding me. I thought we already took North America why we gotta fly so damn low?!"

"Because Numbuh 4, the Hasayan's or whatever those wackos are called could have radar systems in the area, and we wouldn't wanna risk being detected now would we?" Abby answered back.

Numbuh 1 was sitting in the command seat of the chair, clutching his abdomen area that was still producing pain.

This caught Hoagie's attention, and he questioned Nigel's decision to go on with the rescue mission.

"Hey Numbuh 1, you sure you want to go on with this mission? We can always turn back."

Abby jumped into the conversation, because she too was unsure if Nigel was combat ready. "Yeah Numbuh 1, I mean you just got shot up and you still want to go on another potentially life threatening mission?"

Nigel regained his posture, and tucked his hands on the arms of his chair, away from the healing wound.

"I'm fine guys, besides Rachel's out there along with Serena and I have a gut feeling they'll need our help."

"Awh! Numbuh 1 is going to save Numbuh 362! How cute!" Kuki butted in, causing the bald headed boy to blush.

"Um... just continue on course." Nigel ordered, trying to ignore Kuki's comment.

"Whatever you say lover boy." Hoagie smirked.

Nigel then brought the metallic cube he was given up to his face. What exactly was this damn thing meant for?

* * *

Deep within the Arctic facility, Rachel and Serena were crawling through one of bases vents, peeping out through the dotted windows that came up every so often. Many of Hasayan soldiers stationed in the facility were on high alert, and the two made the assumption that it was because of the Teen Ninja's attempt to assassinate Leader. They then overheard an interesting conversation between two of the masked soldiers. Rachel stopped and signaled Serena to do the same. She then peered through one of the dotted windows, in order to eavesdrop on the two Hasayans.

"So I heard Leader is givin' it a second go at that crazy 'Chamber' of his." one of them said

The other one answered back. "Yeah, do you know what it does? I've been hearing some crazy theories bout it."

"Naw, all I know is that its suppose to help create a 'perfect world' or so he says."

"Ah I see, well what's keepin' Leader from using that machine?"

"I think he's expecting some people, not sure who. Guess we'll find out when they arrive." The other replied.

Rachel felt uneasy, and maneuvered her body away from the vent window she was looking through.

"What did they say?" Serena whispered.

"They said that Leader is waiting for someone to test his new contraption of his."

Serena gulped, it had to be her.

"Regardless, he's planning to use it on all of us eventually so better we stop him now before he get's that chance." Rachel added.

They crawled for several minutes until they finally spotted a large room that appeared to be empty. Rachel decided it was safe, and they both jumped down from the vent's opening.

It was awfully quiet and poorly lit. The room was decorated with Hasayan Banners hanging from the roof. The ground was made out of pure marble, and situated at the very end of the room was a chair. A lone and dark chair.

"I think this is where Leader gives out all his orders..." Serena whispered.

"Is this where you remember the Chamber was?" Rachel asked.

A cold and familiar voice interrupted the quiet stillness of the room.

"Actually, that room is not too far from here."

The room lit up, and dozens of Hasayan soldiers rushed out of the many entrances and exits that littered the room. Their heavy armor, Nazi styled uniforms, and gas masks that emitted a red glow from the eye holes intimidated the two operatives.

"Wait what?!" Rachel was quickly knocked out with one of the soldiers rifle butts, and Serena soon suffered the same fate.

* * *

"Ight Numbuh 1, according to these coordinates the base should be right here." Hoagie pointed at a small hill that was in the clearing.

"Good." Nigel said shivering. Despite wearing a thermal suit, his wound was causing him to lose body heat at an accelerated rate. He needed to get out of the freezing environment or risk getting hyperthermia.

Just as Nigel was about to proceed, Numbuh 5 signaled all of them to stop.

"Something's not right..." she announced to the whole group. The air had a strange stillness to it.

Wally was eager to kick some ass, and could wait no longer.

"Aw cmon Numbuh 5, your just..." Several shots rang out from around them and they quickly found themselves engaged in a shoot out.

Sector V ran back into the forest that they had just exited, seeing that they would stand no chance in the open field. They fired blindly into the forest on the opposite side of their location, hoping that they would do damage to whoever was firing at them.

"I told you!" Abby shouted while firing back at the Hasayan soldiers now emerging from the forest on the opposite site of the clearing. Their camo, which almost entirely blended in with the snow, made them difficult to spot. However, the red glow emitting from the eye part of their masks gave away their position once the group looked in closely. Nigel peeped out, careful of the enemy bullets that pummeled their position. He could count see 6 sets of red lights, indiciating 6 nemy soldiers, nothing they couldn't handle.

"Looks like we can handle them." Nigel announced. But too his surprise, no one responded.

He turned behind him and found that none of his team mates were behind him.

"Guys...?" Nigel suddenly felt a rifle butt hit the back of his head, and he quickly dropped to the ground dizzy.

He looked up, and saw a familiar face. It was the same person who tried to kidnap him at the Arctic Base.

"You... you tried to kidnap..." Nigel then blacked out.

"Gotcha." Chamenos mocked.

* * *

Rachel awoke to a loud metal door opening, followed by what sounded like someone being thrown into the cell she found herself in. The cell was dark, and the only source of light was coming from a dim light on the ceiling. As far as she could make out, the cell was relatively large, had no windows, and had a large metal door with a small window that served as both the exit and entrance for the room.

The girl still had a concussion, but she attempted to figure out the identity of the person who lay before her. The boy was groaning, and upon turning him over, immediately recognized his identity.

"Nigel?!" Rachel exclaimed.

Nigel looked up at Rachel's face, still dazed from the large blow he took to the back of his head.

"Rachel...?" He answered back.

Rachel felt angry at Chester and Patton for disobeying orders, she could've sworn she told them specifically not to let Nigel follow her. But that was in the past, and there was nothing she could do about it now. She then noticed Nigel clutching his stomach, the main source of pain he was feeling.

"How's your wound...?" She asked.

Nigel didn't respond, he was in far too much agony.

Realizing that she was the only one who could help the boy, Rachel gently lifted the thermal shirt he was wearing and took a look at the wound. It was in pretty rough shape, and she noticed that it was beginning to slowly bleed again due to the events that had just unfolded. The Hasayan's literally threw him onto the ground, which may have irritated the wound. It wasn't life threatening, but at the same time it made boy very uncomfortable.

"Shh.." Rachel hushed at the boy. Her warm and sounding voice made the boy stop squealing in pain. Seeing that the bleeding could get worse and put the boy in more pain, she took out the small medic kit she kept on her belt. The kit was relatively tiny, and was about the size of a small pouch. In it contained antibiotics, several bandages, and other small but helpful medical equipment.

She slowly rubbed antibiotic cream around the wound with a small q-tip and then applied one of the larger band aids of the kit on the wound.

She got up, helping Nigel walk by putting his arm on her shoulder. Rachel brought both of them to a wall, which would provide a more comfortable position opposed to laying on the cold stone floor.

They sat on the edges of the wall, not saying a word, wondering what their fate would be.

Nigel's breathing suddenly became more frantic, and she noticed that boy began to shiver. The blonde girl took the sweater covering her thermal suit and used it as sort of a blanket for the two of them.

The blonde girl then did something that surprised Nigel and even herself. She gently rested her head against the boys chest and then slowly but surely cuddled up with him, providing a sense of warmth and security both of them so desperately needed.

Even though the situation may appear to be bleak and it became more apparent that they may not make out of this place alive, at least they were still in each others company, and if their time was up, that was all that mattered.

* * *

"Numbuh 900, are you sure you wanna stay back alone? I mean I just don't feel right leaving you, Nigel, and Rachel with in this crazy nuthead facility by yourselves."

"Yeah I'm sure Numbuh 5, just remember to call in for back up."

Serena had luckily managed to open a small vent that lead outside of the base in the cell her and the other four members of Sector V were imprisoned. They had agreed on leaving Serena behind, because attempting to rescue Nigel and Rachel in their current situation would risk the possibility of all of them being killed or re-captured, dooming all of them for certain.

"Ight, go get'em girl." Numbuh 5 said following the rest of Sector V into the small vent.

Mean while, Serena had already managed to picklock the door, and slowly peaked through it after Sector V had completely left the room.

She spotted two guards near her door. She had to think of a plan that would take both of them out quickly.

"Hey you!" She yelled through the small barred window.

The guard took noticed and came right in front of the door.

"What the hell do you want?" He answered back.

Serena smiled, and immediately tackled the door, throwing one of the guards against the wall. The other guard raised his gun but it was too late, Serena slid on the ground, tripped him and knocked the guard unconscious with the rifle butt of his own gun, taking a set of keys in the process. Serena ran down the hallway, searching for Rachel and Nigel's cell.

This must've been where Leader kept all of his test subjects she though to herself, but her and Aiden we're never put down here. Must be a new addition to the place she noted.

The veteran operative searched frantically for the two, and couldn't find them in any of the empty cells that were scattered throughout the prison corridor.

She arrived at the last cell, they had to be here. The girl peeked through the window, and sure enough that was were they were. She also noticed that the two were cuddled up against each other. She smiled a bit, it's about time those two made a move.

Serena lifted up the keys and unlocked the cell door, quickly waking up the couple.

"Ok you two, cuddle time is over, now let's find a way out of here!"

Rachel was surprised, how did Serena...? Never mind, she had her ways.

They ran around the prison section for several minutes, finding themselves arriving at dead ends or hallways of more cells.

The three finally managed to navigate themselves out of the prison section of the large facility. They then stopped, and found themselves in a strange and large room. It was littered with Hasayan banners and several computer screens. Around them they could spot testing tubes, and other objects that indicated that experiments take place here.

In the middle, was a large chamber, and Serena recognized it off the bat.

"We should really get out of here." She whispered to everyone

As they turned back to find another way out of the facility, they heard the sound of guns cock all around them.

"Not so fast you three." Chamenos said coming out from the hallway they had just exited.

They were surrounded from all sides, and the only way they could possibly get out was blocked by Chamenos and a dozen Hasayan soldiers.

Serena felt that this was the time to comfront the boy, hoping that there was still a tiny shred of Aiden's essence in the boys body.

"Don't you remember me?" Serena hesitantly asked.

Chamenos looked at the girl and stared deeply. A number of images conjured up in his mind, past memories of events he didn't remember doing himself. Many of the images were of him and the girl together, happily embracing each others presence.

"Who are you... and why do you keep calling me Aiden?" He questioned.

Serena attempted to walk closer, as close as she possibly could without getting shot. She got within 5 feet in front of him before she sensed that any closer would get her and her companions killed.

"Don't you remember your true name...? We used to be friends. You have to remember... all the time we spent together, going out on missions, hanging out, and just being with each other, how could you possibly forget?"

Serena then raised her bracelet, the same one the boy was wearing.

"You gave this to me Aiden, how else do you think that both of us have this bracelet?"

Chamenos looked at his bracelet. He then began blinking even more irradicaly, and it felt as though another persona inside him was about to break out. He started to remember who he was, but his thoughts were rudely interrupted when another figure entered the room.

"Oh look who we have here! May I add Numbuh 900, your attempts to bring back your friend are futile. He is a much more obedient and efficient person then that Aiden you so desprately claim he is."

He patted Chamenos on the back. "Good work, I'll take it from here."

Chamenos stepped behind Leader , but he felt as something in him changed. He began wondering if the girl was right. But if that's who he really was, who was he now?

"Perfect, three of my test subjects arrived just on time! I can't wait to test it on all of you, especially you Numbuh 900... you may have escaped last time, but I can assure you it won't happen again..."

Leader ordered his men to subdue the three operatives. The three attempted to push the Hasayan soldiers off but to no avail.

Nigel instinctively jumped in front of Rachel, but he was quickly pushed aside and beat down. Rachel and Serena attempted to fight the soldiers brawling with Nigel but they were suddenly held back by several more Hasayan's

Rachel watched in horror as Nigel was brutally beat. The soldiers then turned their attention to Rachel and Serena, and they too underwent the same punishment.

...TRANSMISSION INTERRUPTED...


	15. Chapter 15: Second Chance

**Well hey guys, sorry if the update was a little long. You know, college finals and stuff hahaha.**

**Wow, I didn't expect this story to catch so much attention, and I thank all of you for the support(this includes follows, favorites, reviews, everyone, duh!").**

**Anyway, enjoy this next chapter!**

* * *

Chapter 15: Second Chance

...Connection Re-Established...

Battered and bruised, the operatives were harshly forced to kneel down before the Hasayan commander. Leader grinned, what a more perfect way to signify his power by capturing the KND Supreme Leader and the infamous Numbuh 1 and Numbuh 900.

"I take it my men gave you quite the beating?" He laughed silently to himself.

Rachel was the first to speak up. "It's going to take more then a few kicks and punches to make us surrender." She wasn't going to play the role of being a victim, it wasn't her character at all.

"Oh. Don't worry, you will all bend to my will soon enough." Defiant to the bitter end, but utterly futile Leader thought to himself as he signaled Chamenos and several men stationed at the Chamber which was placed in the middle of the large room to begin the powering up sequences.

Determined to figure out the Hasayan plot, she finally popped the question. "What are you planning anyway Leader?" Maybe just maybe, Leader would ramble long enough for possible back up to arrive she thought, but that was just wishful thinking.

Leader paced back and fourth, formulating his response to the blonde girl.

"Isn't it obvious? You see, I created this organization when I realized the imperfections the Kids Next Door suffered from. It's promotion of freedom, individuality, equality, and tolerence, all ideas that disgusted me." he snarled.

He cleared his throat and continued. "Funny how the Kids Next Door aided in their own demise, I even used their own scientists to help me develop this machine... whether they agreed with me or not."

Oh great... the usual pointless villain rambling. At this point Rachel just began to assume this is what all villains did. "Cut the crap Leader and tell me what your planning already."

Seeing it fit that he tell his opponents his plans before they met their demise, he quickly answered back.

"World domination of course... for far too long has mankind bickered amongst themselves. What I offer here is the chance to eliminate the flaws that us humans suffer. This machine will create a more obedient, stronger, and much more intellectual individual, stripping them away from their emotions and morals that so hold us back. Using this machine, I will create the perfect soldier..."

How could someone be so cold and cynical? "But why test it on us? We're just kids!" she responded instataneously.

"Because 'Supreme Leader', children are much more vulnerable and undeveloped. The younger the person, the better results... No more petty child dreams or fantasy's, just reality."

What? Rachel thought to herself, this teen must have no soul. "But all those traits you wish to eliminate are what make us human... it's what makes us tick, it's who we are." she said back.

"Fool, all those things are what makes us imperfect beings! My creation will bring about a new era, an era where this stupid power struggle between children and adults will cease to exist, an era where we are all united under one banner. Imagine, a world of total obedience and complete suboridination! Just think of the possibilities!"

"Your crazy." Nigel muttered under his breath.

Rachel looked at Nigel, praying Leader wouldn't just shoot him on the spot for such an outburst.

Taking note of the British boy's comment Leader slowly walked closer and closer until they were face to face "Crazy you say...?"

"Yeah... you heard me CRAZY" he yelled back.

"Rebellious till the end I see, we'll see how your opinion changes after I change you and your team mates..." the commander taunted, causing a chill to travel up the boys spine.

* * *

"Everyone in position?" Abby whispered into her communicator.

"Sector Q in position"

"Sector A" in position."

After all sectors and teams checked in, Abby signaled her Sector and several S.R.S.S.T soldiers behind her to move at the edge of the forest. Earlier, Sector V managed to get to a KND outpost where they then radioed in their situation. Seeing that the Supreme Leader was in great danger, global command sent in a battalion of soldiers and armored vehicles as well as a company of S.R.S.S.T forces. Several Sectors were also allowed to help in the rescue mission. The Kids Next Door could not spare anymore additional forces then what was provided, for the war was still being fought in the European and Asian theaters. It was the best Sector V was going to get, and they had to make do with what they had.

Abby took out her binoculars, and scouted her surroundings.

In the middle of the clearing was the entrance to the Hasayan compound, which appeared to be much more heavily guarded then when they first infiltrated. Several dozers were clearing the forest across from them in order to make way for future projects. The once quiet forest was littered with Hasayan activity, and the construction of multiple buildings and hangars began taking place. It was now clear, they were preparing for total world domination, and this would be the place where it would all start. Abby looked out, they were out numbered and outgunned. In the forest and in the clearing alone she could tell that there was a whole brigade. And that was just what appeared on the surface, no telling how many more Hasayan's were in the entire region.

Preparing for an attack, Abby signaled again for several tanks to pull up quietly behind the vegetation and trees that made up the forest.

"I want you to choose your targets carefully, take out the enemy tanks first and then the machine gun nests, got that?" Abby radioed in as she and everyone around her made final battle preparations.

"Loud and clear Numbuh 5, just tell us when to fire."

Abby turned to face Numbuh 2. "Do we got air support?"

"Unfortunately no, they said they'll be able to send in a couple of helicopter gunships and S.C.A.M.P.E.R's, but that wont be for another hour or two."

Things were going to get tougher now, but the more they waited, the less time they had of rescuing the three operatives.

"Everyone ready?" Abby was nervous, they all were. Sure they'd fought countless missions and battles before, but never one with such importance.

They all nodded quietly.

Taking a deep breathe, she yelled into her communicator that signaled the start of the battle

"Fire!"

The allied tanks near them unloaded their shells, causing many of the enemy tanks to explode and the infantry around them to fly in the air. A wave of bullets traveled out of the forest, hitting their Hasayan targets. The enemy was caught off guard, and Abby used this to her advantage.

Numbuh 5 and Sector V rushed out of the forest, machine guns blazing. They were soon followed by KND soldiers and several tanks which provided cover and fire power for their advance.

* * *

The room violently shook. What sounded like distant explosions and machine gun fire echoed throughout the room.

Tooken by surprise, Leader demanded to know what was going up on the surface. What the hell is going on up there?!"

Chamenos ran to the computer monitors in the room and checked the footage of several cameras posted up top near the entrance of the base. He scanned them all intently, realizing that it was a full on assault.

"We're being attacked by the Kids Next Door."

Leader looked at the three operatives. Nothing, absolutely nothing would stop him from fulfilling his plans now. "It seems that your friends have arrived with some back up. No matter, their attempt will prove to be futile."

"Now it's time for you all to be the next generation of perfect soldiers." At the snap of his fingers, several soldiers began to bring the operatives to the front of the Chamber, where they would all be transformed.

Serena looked at the Chamber, it was different from when she last remembered. In front of the Chamber sat two capsules with thick glass doors. Protruding from the Chamber into the capsules were large tubes and several wires. Before it was much more simpler, but now it seems that Leader in a cruel sense had 'improved' this heartless contraption of his.

He pointed at Nigel and then Rachel "I would like you two to be first."

The brown haired girl gasped. Leader merely laughed. "Now you will get to witness those closest to you lost again!"

Serena looked in horror at the machine, she could care less what happened to her, but she couldn't handle watching Nigel and Rachel turned. She couldn't stand the thought of both of them suffering the same fate as Aiden, who was now a mindless tool of control. Out of desperation, she begged for Chamenos to do something, hoping that maybe somehow he would remember who he once was.

"Aiden, you can't let him do this to us! Please, don't let those two suffer like we did, please I beg you!" Serena yelled, her voice echoing throughout the large room.

Her voice hit the boys ears like a sharp needle. Chamenos soon found an internal conflict raging inside him, a flood of memories entered his head. His once supressed memories hit him hard, almost like water rushing over a collapsing dam. He began to remember everything, his real self, his real name, the S.R.S.S.T, and most importantly Serena.

Now he remembered the meaning of the bracelet that both Serena and he wore.

Now he remembered who he truly was.

* * *

Just above the underground compound, the battle between Allied and Hasayan forces raged on.

"Think you guys can provide cover for us while we run to the front?" Abby questioned the S.R.S.S.T squad that was with them. Around them the hulls of tanks from both sides were burning and the sound of soldiers shooting and hitting each other with rifle butts flooded all of their senses. Armored trucks from both sides peppered each other with round after round of machine gun fire, and the sound of constant explosions nearly deafened Sector V. Combat was brutal, and all around them the battle seemed to be intensifying.

"Yeah!" the commanding officer replied back, reloading his rifle, his voice nearly interpretable due to the sheer amount of fighting going on around them.

Sector V was preparing to charge when suddenly more enemy reinforcements flooded out of the entrance of the Hasayan compound.

"Oh for god sake, there's no way we can get in there now!" Wally shouted as he threw a grenade into an enemy truck that was dropping off reinforcements

"We can always ask them if we can enter nicely." Kuki suggested, causing everyone including several operatives around her to give her a weird look.

After a brief moment of no dialogue, Abby finally spoke up, her voice competing with the sound of the ensuing battle "Um...Yeah, guess they got a whole army here, Numbuh 2, can you find another way in possibly?"

Numbuh 2 pulled out a tablet that showed a space view from one a KND spy satellite overhead, he scanned it intently, but could find no other way in beside the front entrance.

"Don't see any other way in from here Numbuh 5."

At this moment Abby realized that the only way they'd be able to enter the facility was to fight there way through the influx of Hasayan soldiers guarding the entrance.

* * *

They were forced closer and closer to the chamber one by one, one step at a time. It was a despairing situation, now was no chance of escape for them. Now, it appeared, their time was up.

The three were abruptly stopped only a few feet away from the cruel conversion chamber. A soldier grabbed Rachel by the hand, and she turned to look at Nigel one last time. He looked back at her, smiling at her and giving her a sense of comfort, even though he knew deep down inside they were all basically as a good as dead. She didn't understand how he could be so calm, knowing that all of them were about to be shadows of their formal selves, forced to carry out the orders of a mad man. Rachel felt like crying, after she was turned, she wouldn't remember a thing, not even Nigel.

Funny how things occurred she thought. Nigel risked his life for her, only for her to be captured by the very entity he sought to protect her from. And it was all her fault, if she didn't decide to come to this place so recklessly, perhaps they wouldn't be in this situation at all. She wanted to say one last thing before her memory and her being was wiped out from the face of the Earth.

She was one step in front of the metal capsule before Leader ordered the soldier to stop. Rachel turned her body and faced Nigel. She couldn't take it anymore, she wanted Nigel to know how she truly felt, she wanted to know that if what they had was more then a friendship.

"Nigel, I..."

The guard rudely forced her into the capsule, causing her body to violently slam against the metal. This was it, she was in the feared indoctrination chamber, where her very soul would be destroyed.

Nigel tried to break free from the soldier holding him back, but it was hopeless. He was pushed into the capsule, which contained nothing but few openings where the tubes were placed. Both of them were now trapped in the small capsules, with Serena forced to watch.

Leader went up to the Chamber, and pulled the lever that seemed to bring the contraption to life. "Time to power up this beautiful machine."

He stepped back, admiring the completion of his works. The tubes that entered into the metal capsules were now flooding with a red liquid, waiting to be converted into a gas which would then enter into the capsules.

"I assure you... the process is relatively painless" Leader said to himself chuckling under his own breath.

Nigel turned to to look at Rachel through the small glass window located at the side of the capsule. He quickly came to the conclusion that this was it, this was the last time he'd ever be able to see his blonde commander. Her deep brown eyes were so gracious, but now full with sorrow. The boy couldn't take it. There was nothing he could do, nothing at all, to help rescue Rachel. He looked out too Serena, but even she had given up any attempt to escape.

The room was silent, with the exception of the liquid traveling through the tubes. Then, something unexpected happened.

Out of no where, the sound of a gun firing echoed throughout the room, and then another, and then another. One by one the guards in the room fell, until only Serena and Leader were left standing. Serena turned to the primary source of the gunshots.

She saw the owner of the gun was Chamenos, Leader's right hand man. But why did he take out his own soldiers and why was he pointing a gun at his own commander? It didn't make sense, Unless...

No... it couldn't be.

"Aiden...?" She called out.

The teen looked back for a moment, a sign that he recognized his name. His eyes returned back their formal emerald green color, and something about the boy seemed to have changed, or rather, return.

"Is... is... that you?"

"Yeah... it's me Serena." Aiden replied back, gun still pointed at his formal commander.

She couldn't believe it, it was him. All these years that she thought she had lost him he was still there, just trapped inside the mazes of his own mind. She didn't think it was possible, she assumed that once someone was turned, they could never come back.

"But how?" Serena said back weakly, overflooded with emotions.

"I'm not really sure." he responded back.

Leader spoke up abruptly. "You were the perfect soldier, but now you've digressed back to your inferior and weak self. I was aware of the flaws of my first machine, but I assure you it will not happen again."

The Hasaayan Commander produced a devilish smile, and Aiden looked to the Chamber were Rachel and Nigel were still in. They were both trapped, and he had to do something fast if he wanted to prevent them from being converted.

Aiden, seeing that untying Serena would only take more time, ran up to the chamber and pulled the lever. The red liquid that was flooding the tubes stopped, and receded back into the Chamber where they originally came from. Rachel breathed a sigh of relief and looked at Nigel through the glass window at the side. Their ordeal however was far from over.

Aiden went to Nigel's capsule first, but he insisted that he get Rachel out before him. Listening to Nigel, he came up to Rachel's capsule.

"I'll get both of you out, don't worry." He said.

Rachel nodded, but she was still on edge. Being in this small space gave her an erie feeling.

"Look out!" Serena called out.

A bullet whizzed right past Aiden. Instinctively, he ducked down and ran behind the cover of the Chamber. He peeked out, and spotted not one or two, but a dozen Hasayan soldiers. He needed to find a way to kill all those guys before he could rescue Nigel and Rachel.

"Ah, finally reinforcements have arrived." Leader taunted while the Hasayan soldiers came up in front to shield their master.

Taking advantage of the chaos, Serena ran towards Aiden, her hands still cuffed behind her back.

Aiden took notice, is she... wow she really is... "What the hell are you doing?!"

Serena didn't respond back until she rendezvoused with Aiden behind the Chamber.

He grabbed her by the shoulders. "You could've got killed!"

"Well I don't think waiting in the open as a damsel in distress while bullets fly over my head was any safer." She protested back. "Are you going to untie me or not?"

Aiden grunted and slowly untied her hands. He'd only been back for less then half an hour and already she was being stubborn towards him. But oh well, that's one of the reasons he loved her to begin with.

After he untied her, he grabbed a rifle from one of the nearby fallen soldiers and handed it to Serena. "Here, make yourself useful."

Serena smiled, the boy she once knew was standing right before her, his memory finally restored.

"Your really back."

"Yeah, we'll talk after, right now we need to take out those enemy guards and rescue your team mates."

Serena agreed, but how they would do that, she wasn't sure.

* * *

Rachel was still stuck in the confinements of the capsule. Although the conversion process had been stopped by Aiden, she still felt a sense of danger. All around her bullets were flying in her general direction, and every once awhile a stray bullet would bounce off the thick glass door. She could hear the muffled yells of Aiden and Serena, who were desperately fighting for their lives.

She wanted to something, but she couldn't, so long as she remained trapped in this tight and squished coffin. The blonde commander turned to Nigel, who already seemed to be planning on how to free himself from his limited space. He stopped for a brief minute and looked at her. He appeared to be frustrated, and then he finally took out a strange looking object from his pocket, one that even Rachel didn't know was on him.

* * *

"Maybe this cube will help me." He thought aloud to himself as he examined the strange constantly moving metal alloy of the object. It was simplistic in nature, but Nigel knew that in reality it was probably complex. He still wasn't sure what it was supposed to do but he was hell-bent on figuring it out. He tried prying the cube open, but no results. Nigel tried all sorts of things to activate this strange cube, ranging from yelling commands, to just staring at it.

The cube appeared to be almost... alien. It didn't make any sense, how can something that appeared to be some type of liquid maintain a cube shape while being as hard as titanium.

"What the hell is this stupid piece of crap suppose to do!" he yelled in total frustration. He threw the object on the ground and started mindlessly pounding and kicking at the thick glass door.

"Well if this thing isn't going to help me get out of here, then I'd ratherswell do something else that will" he thought aloud.

After several minutes of constant kicking, he decided to try one last time. He pushed his body against the back of the capsule and with one swift blow, kicked both of his legs into the glass door. To his amazement, the door flung open. He slowly got out of the capsule, realizing that any sudden movements can get him killed by the Hasayan soldiers that were still locked in a gun fight with Aiden and Serena.

He looked around, slowly crawling towards Rachel's capsule. Wow, he thought, those two must be putting up quite a fight for the soldiers not to notice him. Realizing that the Hasayan soldiers were far to occupied to even care about him, he crouched and ended up in front of Rachel.

"Rachel, all you have to do is kick the glass open with both of your feet! Put all your energy into it!" He shouted to Rachel through the glass door.

Barely able to hear his muffled voice, she nodded. She pushed against the capsule with all her might and lifted her legs off the ground, and with all her energy, kicked the door open. She was now free, and glad of it.

Nigel quickly helped Rachel out of the capsule and on to her feet.

"Thanks Nig... LOOK OUT!" She pointed behind him as a barrage of bullets headed straight for them. Acting on pure reflex, Nigel grabbed Rachel and lunged both of them away from the onslaught of lead.

They were on the ground for a brief moment, still in disbelief how they got out of that hopeless situation. Nigel was practically ontop of Rachel, his hands still clinging to her shoulders. The two stared at each other, until their little moment was interrupted by the sound of Serena yelling at them.

"Are you guys just going to sit there or what?!"

Once again, another perfect moment ruined by duty.

...Transmission Interrupted...

* * *

**Ok, so Nigel and Rachel are 12 years old, and you know with their teenage years on the way, yeah whatever you guys get it. Just easing anyones concerns about the last part. **

**I'd also like to say, in case you haven't noticed, this story is reaching it's climax and eventual end :(. Sad, I really enjoy writing this story.**

**Will keep you all updated soon!**


	16. Chapter 16: Unconditional Love

Chapter 16: Unconditional Love

Rachel and Nigel instantaneously helped each other up, careful of the stray bullets flying in their direction. Serena and Aiden were providing them cover fire but there was only so much the two could do. It was a tight situation to be put in, but much more manageable compared to earlier.

"You two come over here to get some cover!" Aiden yelled out to them.

Noting the boys suggestion, they ran behind the chamber and met up with Serena and Aiden. As they both took a breather, both of them couldn't help but glare at each other. It was at this point did Nigel notice something different about his companion.

Nigel examined his blonde commander and was nearly appalled. Her face looked badly bruised and her face was scratched up. He knew that she was beaten by the Hasayans, but he didn't realize how serious it was until he got a closer look at her. His mind was consumed with anger...how could they do such a thing to a girl like Rachel. He gently brought a hand up and ran it across her face.

"Rachel, what have they done to you?"

She glared at him with her deep chocolate eyes. He was deeply concerned about her, but thoughts like that could compromise their mission. Plus she was more concerned about him if anything, "Don't worry, it's only superficial. It'll heal up in no time anyway. Besides I'm more worried about you than anything!"

Nigel only sighed, "I'm fine Rachel, don't worry about it"

Two rifles were shoved in their faces, giving them a rude awakening back to reality.

"Here take these guns." Aiden quickly said before returning back fire at the enemy.

They both loaded their guns and peeked out. Oh man...

What they saw was not good, not good at all.

* * *

Sector V and around several dozen allied soldiers ran down the halls, taking out any Hasayan soldiers that got in their way. Just minutes ago, by some act of divine intervention, they managed to overwhelm the guards at the entrance, but at a hefty cost. The battle up above however, was still intensifying, but at least now they were inside the base, one step closer to rescuing Rachel, Nigel, and Serena.

Luckily for them, they were crossing a large hallway that seemed to be clear of any enemies. It had occurred to them that it was very possible that the Hasayan's were diverting all their forces to defending the base, leaving only a small amount inside the actual facility itself. Still, the operatives walked cautiously, constantly keeping their aiming sights in front of their faces.

Navigating the large group through the vast military complex was Numbuh 2. By hacking one of the computer systems they had encountered near the entrance, he was able to download a full map of the facility.

Despite their exceptional pace, Kuki couldn't help but feel that they were taking far too long."Numbuh 2 hurry up! Rachel, Serena, and Nigel are in danger!" Very uncharacteristic of her to shout out something like that, a big indication that they were running out time.

Abby took this strange behavior as sort of a warning; If Kuki was acting like this, something must be wrong "Yeah Numbuh 2, you locate them yet?"

Numbuh 2 rubbed the back of his head. "Um... it's a pretty big base..." He pointed on the tablet, "give me some time yeah?" All of them let out a large outburst.

"Are you kidding me Numbuh 2, you can't even..." a ringer on his tablet suddenly went off, causing him to look at it's screen. There was a beacon call coming from a large room, causing him to divert all his attention back to the tablet, "According to my data, the signal is coming directly from Numbuh 1, this is also appears to be the room where the Hasayans conduct experiments and stuff", Hoagie looked oddly at his tablet. "Strange, does Numbuh 1 have a distress beacon on him or something? How come it didn't go off earlier too?"

Abby was puzzled, "Um... I don't know? Why do you ask?" Hoagie turned his back to Numbuh 5. "Because unless he has something that has it's own power source or something that can broadcast a strong frequency that could be picked up by my equipment, it'd be impossible to get readings from him."

Interesting she thought, but a question she didn't have time to contemplate. Realizing that getting to that room would take awhile, Abby took charge. They needed to pick up the pace if they had any chance of rescuing their friends. "Well can we pick up the pace then?! They'll be sending in more reinforcements in our direction soon."

The small platoon listened to her suggestions and walked faster as they divulged closer and closer to their intended target.

* * *

Locked down in a vicious fight, the four fought with a sense of desperation. When Nigel looked out behind the corner of their cover, he spotted that they were basically surrounded. Instead of only a dozen enemy soldiers, it looked like they had multiplied by nearly five fold. And if that wasn't bad enough, all the entrances were still flooding with batches of fresh reinforcements.

Aiden was beginning to accept the reality of their situation. He loaded the last clip into his pistol and popped his last rounds at the enemy. "I don't know how long we can hold here." It really was a hopeless situation. They were surrounded completely by the enemy, stuck in the very heart of the Hasayan base, and were ironically using the very thing they intend to destroy as cover. Perhaps this was Leader's plan after all, besides, he did like playing mind games with his victims. He took a glanced at Serena, who was still fighting back, determined to make it out of here alive.

Sad, well, at least they got to see each other one last time before they were turned into the so called 'perfect soldier', this time permanently. Sensing his gaze, she paused and twisted her head to look at Aiden. She began to accept the despairing reality, and almost as if he read her mind, they both nodded.

They directed their vision to Nigel and Rachel. If they couldn't save themselves, maybe just maybe they could...

The bullets ricocheting around them suddenly stopped.

Rachel slowly moved her head around the corner, trying to figure why the enemy had stopped peppering them with machine gun fire. The soldiers lowered their guns and Leader stepped in front of all them, "It has appeared your little attempt to escape has failed. I must admit though, a gallant attempt. Being the merciful person that I am, instead of killing you, I will still allow you the chance of being changed by my machine that you so hide behind."

The bogged down group remained silent, until Rachel finally spoke up.

"Why Leader, what would be the point? Either way you put it we are dead. I'd rather you shoot us now and our souls still be intact then be transformed into a mindless soldier!" Her defiance brought admiration upon the entire group. There was a reason she was Supreme Leader.

Leader twitched, never before had someone stood up to him with such ferocity. If they would not turn, he'd rather them be dead. People like her are what threatened his plans. Sure, he had almost totally the upper hand, but if she managed to escape, it would be a nightmare.

"Very well, if you will not be turned, then you will die." His soldiers lifted their guns slowly, taking aiming towards the Chamber. "Guess this is it guys," Nigel announced to the group." Aiden and Serena nodded their heads, "not for you two," Rachel heard them, not understanding what they meant, "what do you mean 'not for you two'?" Serena sighed, "Look... we'll provide cover fire while you two sneak out of here..."

Rachel wouldn't allow this to happen, she would not just leave them behind to die while they lived. It was unacceptable. "No we're staying right here!"

"Yeah, we can't just leave you guys behind!" Nigel butted in. Serena and Aiden glared at each other, it was obvious that no matter what they said, nothing would convince the couple from leaving. "Please, you two must go..." she muttered while she loaded what remaining rounds she had into her gun. Nigel and Rachel ignored her plea, and remained at their side, reading for a last stand.

The sound of guns firing suddenly erupted throughout the room, but not at them.

One soldier fell, then two, then a couple dozen.

The Hasayan soldiers turned around, only to be greeted by more gunfire and the sound of charging operatives. They poured out of the many entrances into the massive room, catching them all by total surprise. Finally, back up had arrived.

Leader frowned, these brats were proving to be more of a nuisance than he originally thought. "How the...? Call in more reinforcements!" He shouted to one of the soldiers.

"We can't, their all tied down handling KND forces on the surface!"

The room was now filled with soldiers from both sides, erupting in a brawl of close quarters combat.

Sector V emerged into the room, frantically searching for Nigel. Abby spotted the group still hiding behind the chamber ,"Nigel over here!" she shouted over the sounds of both sides mindlessly beating each other.

He scanned to find the source of the voice, when he finally spotted Abby waiting just across from their position. It was his team, they came back! Without a second thought, he ran straight for his team. He could hear a familiar voice calling out from behind him "Nigel come back! Your going to get yourself killed!" Rachel screamed at the top of her lungs.

Dodging bullets and rifle butts, he nearly made it to the other side with his team. Unexpectedly, out of the clear blue, he felt someone violently pin him into the hard floor. He was forced to the ground, dazed by the force of the fall. For a second his vision was distorted, all around him he could see the ensuing battle taking place throughout the massive room. His vision began to recover revealing a blurry dark figure to the side of him.

"You will not stop my plans!" Leader said with pure anger. Now he was acting on straight emotion, out of the ordinary for the usually calm commander. Quickly getting up he gave a death glare at Nigel. Now he was going to pay. Leader charged at the boy who was still lying on the ground.

Coming back to his senses, Nigel slowly got up, only to be taken to the ground again. "Now your going to die you stupid little fool. Did you really think you could come here and defeat me just like that?" Leader lifted his fist and ready prepared to pound the boys face.

"Actually, in a matter of fact, I did." He said back in a slow and clear voice, making sure Leader heard ever single word. Leader grunted, and aimed for Nigel's face. The operative rolled to the side and got up with lightning speed.

"Why you little!" he charged towards Nigel again, locking the two in hand to hand combat.

Above them on the high ceiling suddenly collapsed, sending debris crashing onto the ground crushing anyone who was unfortunate enough to be standing under its impact. The sky was now visible, along with SCAMPERS. and additional KND soldiers who grappled down into the large room.

The SCAMPERS landed, dropping in more reinforcements. Now the battle was taking place above and below the surface of the Hasayan headquarters.

Un-phased, Leader smirked. "It's funny how you continue to fight against me, even though its completely useless." he swung at Nigel's face, but the boy evaded it. Nigel responded back by punching back, but his hand was quickly grabbed by the evil commander's leather gloves.

"You see... I'm the one who started this war, not Father. The war was only a distraction, and you all fell for it. You've lost boy. Finally I will create a perfect world, free from this plague of so called 'individuality' or 'free will'. For far too long has progress been inhibited by these beliefs. Now with my chamber I seek to push mankind forward, free from emotions and morals that continue to contaminate our species!"

Nigel stared straight into Leader's eyes with utter disgust. "So your going to justify the death of perhaps millions of people to accomplish your goals? You truly are insane Leader." Nigel twisted his hand, slowly breaking his hands free from Leaders grasp. "Without free will we would be nothing but mindless sheep. We need free will and our emotions to carry on, it's what makes us human. You may not think so, but those things _ARE_ what push mankind forward." The boy finally broke free and punched the teen in the face.

"Face it Leader, your finished."

He laughed, wiping away the blood coming from his gashed cheek. "I'm far from finished Nigel Uno." Unexpectedly, he hit Nigel in the stomach with a vicious blow, directly into his healing gunshot wound. Nigel gasped, collapsing to the floor on his knees.

"But you soon will be... then I'll deal with your friends." He whispered into his ear. The crippling pain left Nigel helpless on the ground, squealing in agony. Another victory for himself Leader automatically assumed in his mind. He took out a sharp blade from his belt and forced Nigel up against a wall, enjoying every single second of this sweet moment. Hearing his cries in the distance, Rachel paused and searched for the boy. She stood in horror as Leader prepared to strike the knife straight into the boy. Rachel aimed the weapon at Leader and pulled the trigger, only to be greeted by the sound of an empty clip. Wasting no time, she darted towards Nigel, hoping she would be able to rescue on time.

"Good Bye Nigel Uno." He mocked pulling his arm back to thrust the knife right into his gut.

She wouldn't make it on time, she had no choice. "No!" She shouted, tackling Leader into the ground, just in time to stop Nigel from being fatally wounded.

He got up and slashed madly at Rachel. "Stupid girl!" The Supreme Leader dodged the attacks, but his knife was beginning to get closer and closer. She had to counter attack, and fast. On his next slash, Rachel skillfully grabbed hand and attempted to disarm the knife from his hand by twisting his fingers.. She succeeded, causing Leader to yelp in pain. She grabbed his collar and pounded him against the wall. She was going to make this little creep suffer, especially for the things he's done to Nigel. "Your going to pay for what you've done." her voice stern and commanding.

He chuckled. How was this amusing at all? Whatever she thought. Little did she know the teen had another blade stashed in his belt, which he grabbed with his left hand.

He pulled out the blade and thrusted it in straight into her abdomen. An intense pain the girl had never felt in her entire life crawled up and down her spine. "Did you really it'd be that easy?" He twisted the knife deeper and deeper into her body, making her cringe in agony. She grabbed the knife, and tried to pull it out, but Leader's grip on it did not relinquish. "How does it feel having the life squeezed right out of you?" he twisted the knife even further until he finally took it out, dropping the girl on the floor. Rachel clenched her stomach, feeling the tingley red liquid flow right out of her.

She felt her life slowly dripping away. Slowly but surely she felt her all her senses weakening, a sign that her body was shutting down. Rachel slipped in and out of conciousness, just trying to hang in there.

* * *

Nigel screamed her name as he watched the nightmarish scene unfold. He mustered all his remaining strength to stand up. After about the fifth time, he managed to succeed, his adrenaline kicking in. He didn't care about the battle going on around him, now all he cared about was ripping Leader's face off for hurting Rachel.

"Leader!" Nigel screeched, his voice echoed.

The Hasayan Commander looked and frowned. "Now to finally settle this." He threw the bloody knife on the ground and stomped towards Nigel. The British boy in turn ran towards him, and swung his face into the teen's face so hard he flew back onto the ground.

Now was his chance, now was his chance to finish off this delusional megalomaniac off once and for all, for the Kids Next Door, for his friends, and most significant of all, for Rachel. Leader pulled himself up, just to be slammed into the wall again before Nigel prepared one last swift blow to his skull.

"You lose Leader." He moved his arm forward, his fists making direct contact with the Hasayan commanders face. He breathed in and out deeply, realizing that he had finally defeated Leader, who was now knocked out cold before him.

He looked around, the Kids Next Door were now rounding up the remaining Hasayan forces. Reinforcements couldn't have came in at a more perfect time he thought... wait... Rachel. Nigel ran to his fallen friend who was clinging on to life as she lay helpless on the floor.

Serena had beat him to her, and she was holding her hand, urging her to just hang on there. "Please hang in there, please if you can't do it for me, do it for Nigel." The British boy gently pushed Serena aside. He looked unresponsively at her wounds, "Medic!" Nigel didn't want to lose her, but he knew deep down inside that trying to save her now was probably pointless. He didn't want to admit it... but the wound was fatal.

Unbeknownst to them, Leader had crawled closer and closer to the self destruction button of the facility. If he was going to go down, he was going to take everyone in the area with him.

Aiden happened to glance in the general area when he spotted Leader, "Stop!" he shouted in vein. Leader grinned as he pushed the button, "See you all in hell". Several explosions rocked the whole entire area, showering the operatives with debris.

"Quick, we got to get out of here guys!" Abby commented, gesturing for everyone to board the SCAMPER. Everyone hurriedly ran to the ships quickly evacuating the area in a matter of minutes. "Nigel come on, we got to get out of here!" she gestured as she waited near one the ships along with Sector V. "No, I got to get Rachel out of here, you guys get out of here without me, I'll make it out on the last SCAMPER out of here."

"But Numbuh 1!" she protested back. "No but's Numbuh 5! Now get out of here that's an order!" the dark girl reluctantly nodded, and closed the door to the ship as it took off to the surface.

Nigel gently picked Rachel up, holding her in his arms. She dizzily stared up at him, "Nigel, get out of here while you can, just leave me," he shook his head, he wasn't going to leave her behind. The boy carried her fragile body as he ran to a nearby SCAMPER and boarded it.

"Everyone buckled him?" the pilot asked. All on board nodded. Nigel gently placed Rachel on the one of the stretchers on the ship, tucking her in underneath a blanket. "We're going to get out of here Rachel," she smiled weakly back at him. He went near the ships exit and took one last look at the Chamber, at last it would be destroyed so that no one could use it. He examined it, and noticed a most peculiar glowing object in one of it's capsules. Remembering the cube he threw out of frustration while trapped in the capsule, he ran back for it, he didn't know why, but he did. Oddly enough, it was almost like _something_ or _someone_ urged him to retrieve it, just like in his dreams.

He ignored the pilot and other personal on the ship yelling at him, besides, he could barely make out what they were saying anyway. Nigel ran at a speed like never before, dodging collapsing concrete and wires. Nigel grabbed the cube and dashed back to the ship, barely making it back onboard before it took off.

"Anyone else need to do some last minute stunts before we take off?" the pilot sarcastically stated. Everyone shook their heads. Nigel was too out of breath to care at the insult the pilot just threw at him, it's not like it mattered anyway. "Ok good, well get ready for a bumpy ride guys!" The operative pulled full throttle on the ships engine as it rocketed out of the facility, dodging gravel and rocks on the way. The ship shook violently, until it finally cleared back onto the surface.

Nigel briefly gazed to the back of the ship. The surface of the underground facility collapsed and buried it underneath a smoulder of burning metal and rock. It was finished. Leader and the Hasayan's were finally gone.

* * *

The ship landed along with the rest of the task force, not to far from the now smouldering ruins of Leader's once proud base. Nigel and one of the medics gently took out Rachel on a stretcher and laid her on the ground. Nigel requested that medic leave, wanting to have a private conversation with a slowly dying Rachel.

"Hey..." she asked as she strained her vocal chords. She grabbed Nigel's shoulder. "Did we win?" Nigel nodded, trying to hold back his tears. She smiled. "Good work soldier." He gently picked her up and hugged her. He could faintly feel feel her weak fingers grip the skin on his back.

Denial hit his mind like a train, causing him to look for anything or anyone that could save her, but it was no use. Rachel gazed into his eyes, she didn't feel the pain anymore, in a matter of fact, she never felt more calm in her life. Despite all odds, Nigel had managed to come to her aid and rescue her, and to her that's all that mattered.

"Don't worry about me Nigel, I'll be fine..." Her voice was so soft, so comforting, so gentle. The girl's brown eyes reflected in the sunlight that was coming in from the clearing up sky. They were so pure, so innocent. She continued to stare into his eyes as she felt herself fading away from this world into the next. Now she felt weightless, her vision quickly zoomed out of her body and straight through the clouds into a white and blinding light. Her eyes slowly closed as she exhaled her last breath.

"Rachel...? Rachel?!" Nigel called out to her name, but she didn't respond. He tried CPR and breathed into her mouth. Nothing. Her heart stopped beating, and her pulse was nonexistent. He couldn't accept it... it can't end this way.

He couldn't control his emotions anymore. He had failed her. Nigel began to cry uncontrollably as he hugged the girl. _"_Rachel, I'm so _sorry_..." he sobbed into her orange sweater. He was overloaded with memories and emotions that he could no longer manage.

_The two entered the busy hangar, and walked towards the back of the carrier where the opening was located._

_"It's so beautiful." Rachel said mesmerized by the sunset._

_"Yeah, it is…" Nigel murmured, looking at Rachel._

_Her face seemed to be lit up by the sun, and her brown eyes illuminated a brighter color._

_She turned to Nigel, sensing his glare._

_"You ever wish you could just leave all of this behind, away from all this senseless fighting?_

_Nigel was stumped by the question, he was unsure how to answer._

_"Sometimes, but someone has to do it."_

_"Yeah… I guess you're right, I'm just tired of all this Nigel and I know you are too."_

_Rachel got a bit closer, and gazed up towards the now darkening sky._

_"People are losing the ones they care about the most all around us… I just… I just don't want to…" Rachel felt a tear develop at the thought of losing the boy that stood before her._

_"I just don't want to lose you Nigel; you mean a lot to me, you're my closest friend, and probably the only person who knows me inside and out." She finished, barely holding back tears that begged to pour out._

_She abruptly felt a pair of arms slowly embrace her into a hug._

_"Hey, don't worry about it Rachel. I'll always be there for you."_

And indeed he always would be. It was but a mere moment in time, but it was a moment that he'd cherish forever. The irony is that, he lost her, not the other way around. He began to slowly accept reality. She was gone. He got up and walked away from his fallen comrade, even though she may be gone physically, they would always somehow be spiritually connected. But that didn't stop him from feeling tremendous sorrow and emptiness. He picked up her cold and pale hand, "Good bye Rachel", it was too much to handle now. He started tearing up, but this time he couldn't hold the water in his eyes from flooding onto his cheeks.

It wasn't fair, Rachel didn't deserve this. He wished it was him instead of her. Nigel felt like this was all his fault. Now his irrational and risky decisions had costed him not just the Supreme Leader's life, but the girl who meant everything to him. He wallowed their in utter disgust at himself, if he hadn't ran out to try and meet up with Abby and his friends in the first place, he wouldn't have gotten tackled, and if he didn't get tackled...

"Ow!" He jumped. What the hell just shocked him in his back pocket? The boy remembered, he put the cube there. As he took it out, he noticed that it was glowing even brighter then it was before. It flew right out of his hands, and headed straight for Rachel. It abruptly stopped over Rachel, and slowly descended closer to her body. Upon making contact with her sweater, an intensely bright and yellow light blinded Nigel. The light dimmed a little, revealing Rachel slightly arched up. The light vanished, leaving a healed and weakened, but alive Rachel groaning on the ground. He ran towards the commotion, eager to see what the blazes just happened.

The boy took searched for the cube, but it was gone, like it vanished straight into thin air.

Rachel managed to stand up slightly, before she lost her balance. Nigel caught her just in time before she hit the ground. "Rachel...?"

"Present." She joked in response, her voice still shaky, "I knew I could count on you Nigel Uno."

Without further delay, Nigel crushed Rachel in the tightest hug the girl had ever received, she wanted to comment, but she didn't want to ruin another moment. The hug lasted for what seemed to both of them like an eternity. Nothing ever felt so right in her life, it felt like it was meant to be. "I thought you were... you know..."

Looking up into the sky thoughtfully, she responded back "...dead? Yeah so did I."

"But how?" the girl almost immediately answered his question, somehow knowing the thing responsible for her revival. Rachel pointed to the now dull and reflective cube, "I think it had something to do with that..."

Nigel recalled a conversation he had in a so-called 'dream' he experienced.

_"We've been observing you for a long time, your skills are exceptional, and the companionship you share towards your fellow comrades is great trait indeed. Your service to the Kids Next Door has been invaluable, but you will soon find yourself destined for greatness."_

_"Um... thank you, but what does that have to do with anything?" Nigel was now even more bewildered._

_"That will began to make sense as you continue your journey, but I believe you will need help with a threat your home world now faces."_

_Ok, he was wrong, things could get stranger. What the hell did he just say 'home world'? Was he talking to an alien?_

_The orb continued. "Yes, the Hasayan's, we know about them. However, I do believe that you will need some help defeating them._

_"Huh? How so?" Nigel commented back._

_"When this is discussion is over, you will find the answer to that question. You'll know when to use this item once the time arises. Now I do believe that a friend dear to you is in trouble. Her name is Rachel if I'm not mistaken."_

_The orb suddenly began to levitate higher and lose it's bright golden shine._

_"Wait how do you know? Who are you?! What item?! I don't understand anything that's going on!" Nigel yelled._

_"It'll all make sense in due time. Good luck Nigel Uno, we will meet again very soon,"_

He played a phrase in his mind over and over again. '..._You'll know when to use this item once the time arises...' _that wasn't possible! How did a dream predict the future and manage to manifest a solid and advanced piece of technology in the real world? And how in the world did this thing help him beat the Hasayan's? It obviously didn't transform into some superweapon. This whole thing produced more questions then answers, but now wasn't the time to focus on them.

All he could focus on was the blonde girl that was in front of him. He moved closer and closer to the girl's face. She looked at him with acceptance, and she also tilted her head towards him. Their lips were only an inch apart, so close...

"Numbuh 1 and Numbuh 362!" several voices yelled out from behind them. Running towards them came Nigel's sector. Here we go again, another perfect moment, totally ruined, again!

"We thought you guys didn't make it!" Numbuh 2 cheered. Kuki came up, examining Rachel's and Nigel's wounds. "I think we should send you guys back to the Moon Base for further evaluation." Rachel checked her stomach, her fatal wound was... gone, with no signs of her being stabbed at all. Nigel was also bewildered, how was that even possible? How would they explain this to everyone?

Then a thought dawned on him, judging by everyone's normality, no one else saw the strange event _at all_. He got up slowly, helping lift up Rachel as they boarded a SCAMPER headed for the Moon Base.

Then, he remembered something. Serena and Aiden! How could he forget about the operatives that saved both him and Rachel. He wanted to thank them, without them they would have been as good as dead. He reached out for Abby. "Hey have you seen Aiden and Serena?" she shook her head. "Naw, we lost them back at when everything started going downhill, the last time I saw them they were boarding one of the SCAMPERs though, so Numbuh 5 thinks their just fine."

Nigel sighed, he never really got to thank them. But it was in this moment he had realized they had won. He gazed at Rachel who was fast asleep next to him, exhausted.

The Hasayan's thought they could start a war, they thought such a distraction would tie down the Kids Next Door while they made their fantasies of world domination a reality. But they under-estimated the power of human compassion and emotions. In the end, the very things the Hasayan's wanted to destroy were the very things that led to their own demise, stopped by two individuals who wouldn't give up, wouldn't give up on their friends, wouldn't give up on the Kids Next Door, and most of all wouldn't give up on each other.

* * *

In the shadows of the forest, two figures stand idly by as Nigel and Rachel boarded a ship headed back to the Moon Base. One of them, a brown haired girl near her teens takes a strange looking communicator out of her pocket.

Numbuh 1942 came up on screen. "Did you destroy the Chamber?", Serena nodded.

"What about Leader?" She nodded again. "He went down with the base sir,"

Chester nodded in approval. He shifted a little to the left to get a better look at the figure standing behind her. Ah, he knew he recognized the lad ,"Welcome back Numbuh 313" he saluted.

Aiden saluted back. "It's been quite awhile hasn't it been sir?" The admiral smiled, "Too long if I'm not mistaken," Aiden relaxed and brought his hand down "But why'd you all come back for me? I thought that the effects of the indoctrination chamber were irreversible."

Chester cleared his throat "You know our policy Numbuh 313, we leave no one behind, " he pointed to the girl through the screen, "and don't thank me, thank her, this whole mission was her idea after all."

Quick to change the subject, Serena had a question on her mind that bothered her, "That cube you gave Nigel, how did you know Rachel was going to die?"

"We didn't", Numbuh 1942 paused for a minute, "We sent it to him with the intentions of it activating when he _truly_ needed it. Whether or not he knows it, the cube _did _help him, how? I can not say. The cube is a rare technology, one we only send to operatives we believe will put it to great use. Even though we created it, the source that fuels it works in mysterious ways."

"Wait, so basically what your saying is that the cube revived Rachel because that's what he _truly_ needed?"

"Smart girl," He chuckled, "Now, Numbuh Infinity wants you two back at base. Mission accomplished." the transmission ended. With the Hasayan threat dissolved, there was no longer a need for the two to stay back on Earth.

She gazed up into the winter sky, and watched as the ship zoomed up into space.

"Take care you two"

A white beam surrounded the operatives, before it suddenly disappeared along with the two operatives.

* * *

Finally, the boy thought. The medical staff on the Moon Base finally managed to completely seal the bullet wound near his gut. After a couple of days in the hospital dock, he was finally allowed to leave. Thank god... sitting in a bed was getting quite annoying anyway.

Rachel was for the first time ever, not drowning in paperwork. Although in this case, she'd rathers well be. She stared at the ceiling for what seemed like an eternity, cautioned by her staff resting and sleep were probably best for right now. She didn't see why, I mean all she had was a couple of cuts and bruises, nothing too major. Besides, the Kids Next Door was still technically in a state of war with Father, and she didn't think it was right to be sitting pretty while many operatives were making the final push into Moscow.

She heard footsteps coming from outside her room. Oh great... probably Numbuh 86 or something about to complain about how some stupid boy was being stupid or something like that. Instead, too her disbelief, Nigel walked in.

She chuckled. Who would've thought the legendary Numbuh 1 would look so, well, absurd. He walked up to her, his presence already making her feel comfortable.

"You look funny", she teased. He frowned back, "well I don't know if you've looked in a mirror lately, but your not exactly model material either." Huh? What was he talking about, it couldn't be that bad she thought, "Hey what's that supposed to mean!?"

He laughed, she looked completely ridiculous all bundled up under a blanket with numerous bandages around her arms and face as well as a slightly bruised eye. Oddly enough he found this cute, the all powerful Supreme Leader of the Kids Next Door, covering up her insecurities behind a hospital blanket.

"How you doing?" he changed the subject quickly from one of humor to one of concern. She gazed at him, "I'm fine, how about you?" he grabbed a chair and placed it next to her bed, "Never been better."

They fixed their visions onto each other, neither one blinking.

Rachel felt something build up inside her, something that she could no longer hold inside her, "Hey, no one's around and I'm pretty sure I can walk around," she stuttered, "did you wanna, maybe, go for a walk?" she waited for his response.

"Of course Rachel," hearing this answer, she struggled to get up. Ok... maybe her body wasn't fully functional after all. Then, ever so gently a hand helped her up on her feet. She struggled to stand up, but the boy quickly helped her balance, putting her arm on his shoulder.

"Um, I think I can walk on my own now", she was blushing, and this much was obvious. He smiled, interlocking his hands with hers.

They found themselves alone on the observation deck. Usually during any other normal time, this place would be littered with couples or star gazers. But with the final stages of war still brewing on Earth, it was empty. Perfect Nigel thought, now unless an asteroid just so happened to hit the Moon Base, nothing could ruin their time together now. He turned his directions up to the stars. They seemed so peaceful and beautiful, far away from all the stresses on Earth. A thought dawned upon him, and he felt the urge to ask Rachel.

"You ever wonder what's up there?" She glanced at him before looking back up at the stars. She was always curious what lurked in the deep reaches of space, "All the time Nigel."

He asked another question, this time one that she felt almost uncomfortable to answer, "Do you think there are other kids up there, you know other children organizations with the same cause as us?"

"Um... it's possible, why" she was happy when he quickly changed the subject. But it bothered her that perhaps he knew something, something he shouldn't have... _yet_.

Nigel swiveled back his attention her, "just wondering," they were quiet for a few seconds, both hypnotized in a trance by the forever night sky up above. Rachel decided to finally speak, she had to let him know something important, something that had developed in her for quite some time now. For the first time in her life she couldn't articulate a sentence that could properly explain what she felt, despite her vast vocabulary. She wasn't sure if she should even tell him, but it appeared that she didn't need to.

"You know, this whole experience... it's been a real life changer," he was in a deep state of thought, and he wanted to tell Rachel something that he'd been meaning to tell her long ago. She nodded her head in agreement, "I'm pretty sure none of us will be the same after this."

"Yeah, especially _us_. Rachel, I don't know if you feel the same... but you mean everything to me," Rachel got nervous, but the boy continued on, "When I thought I lost you, I felt so empty, I...I... just don't know...", great now she must think I'm stupid or something now, can't even finish a sentence properly he thought to himself.

She was going to reject him outright, for she knew something he didn't, something that would tear them apart in the future. But if she told him off, it would break the boy into pieces, but if she did, at least that would make things easier when the time came. But she couldn't.

Rachel hugged him, snuggling deep into his red sweater, she couldn't hold back her feelings any longer. "I know Nigel, I feel the same way," there she did it, she basically made things between them official, something she shouldn't have done. They enjoyed this sweet un-interrupted moment.

That moment was short-lived when her communicator went off. She reluctantly broke away from his warm embrace and answered the call. "Yeah... yeah, I'll talk to you from there," Nigel stared curiously at his commander wondering who was she was talking to on the other line. Rachel closed her communicator and re-approached Nigel.

"Who was that?" He questioned.

She had to come up with an excuse and fast, "Oh it was just Numbuh 60 updating me on the front. He wanted me to go back to my office to retrieve some files for him", it was a blatant _lie_. It made her guilty inside knowing that what she had told him was a complete and utter _lie_, but it was absolutely necessary. "I'll come back in a few minutes ok? Now you just wait here, and I'll go fetch us some hot chocolate on the way back" she brought up the cutest smile she could ever summon, making Nigel melt inside, "Ok, see you in a little," he responded as he gazed back up into the stars.

Nigel seemed to have bought the story, and she hurriedly paced to her office.

She arrived at her office and closed the door shut. The large LCD screen in her office turned on suddenly, on the live screen chat appeared Numbuh Infinity.

"Hello Numbuh 362", he saluted.

"What do you want Numbuh Infinity?" he smiled back with a sense of professionalism, "What if I told you we had a weapon that could end this war, right now?" Rachel was dumbfounded, what was he going on about?

"Oh yes, let me inform you about it first. For some years now the KND along with the help of undercover GKND scientists have worked on something known as Project: ZEUS", he paused to catch his breath, "it has been kept secret even from the Supreme Leader and is known only to the most highly and trusted ranks of Global Command, after the little incident with Hasayan scientists in Project: M.M.A.C.P, we couldn't risk another infiltration."

She wanted to cut straight to the point, "Ok so what are you telling me? That we have a weapon in our own arsenal that can end this war now?" Rachel beamed into Infinity's shades.

"Yes, but I may warn you... it's effects are... most devastating."

It was either end the war now and be ridiculed for using such a weapon, or let the war drag out causing more bloodshed. Afterall, projected casualties for the siege of Moscow were unimaginably high.

"I'll need to give it some thought before I make a final decision. Numbuh 362 out", she reached for the end transmission button, but Infinity said something to her that made her freeze.

"You didn't do what was instructed." his voice sent a shiver up her spine, he knew.

"I know, but if I broke things off, it would've destroyed him!" she protested.

Infinity responded back, this time his voice full of disappointment, "The plan was to severe all ties, minus a couple of exceptions, but you went ahead and ruined that plan."

Rachel was angry, she was so sick of all this. Always the ends justify the means she thought sarcastically in her head. "How the hell can you guys be so god damn cruel?"

Infinity sighed, he knew that the emotions humans felt to each other were strong, perhaps unbreakable. "Relax Numbuh 362, we're not doing this without reason," he looked sternly at Rachel, "You already know he's bound to leave Earth for the GKND sometime, and when that time comes, your just going to subject both of you to more pain then what is necessary."

He was right, and she wasn't going to prevent the boy from achieving greatness, "I know... but at least he'll be able to enjoy what little time has left on this planet"

Infinity had no emotions on his face, and realizing that the actions Rachel had just committed could not be undone, left her with one last message before he signed off. "I hope you understand fully the repruccusions of your actions." The screen turned off, and the room went eerily silent. She sat on her desk for a minute, taking in everything that had just happened. Infinity was right, she should've just lied and told him she had no feelings for him. But now that was too late.

But at least now she would be able to spend whatever little time she had with him on Earth; even if that meant they would have to part their separate ways in the end.

...Transmission Interrupted...

* * *

**I'm sad to say there is only one last chapter after this :|, and that chapter will most likely explain any questions you may still have. **

**Hope you all enjoyed the climax, I will update asap.**

**_Note_: Reviews and everything appreciated!**


	17. Epilogue: Never Goodbye

Epilogue: Never Goodbye

...Connection Re-Established...

_1 months later_

"Today marks an historical moment in history of the world, a day where the allied powers and Father's forces sit together to finally put an end to this conflict that has ravaged our planet."

The event was taking place on the aircraft carrier "The Ravager," which had earned a feared reputation amongst allied and Father's soldiers alike.

The announcers voice traveled across the world, being broadcasted on television, radios, KND communicators, phones, everywhere. Today was the day the war would finally end, and the day where Father would accept the terms of his unconditional surrender. After two devastating strikes from KND satellite weaponry and news of allied forces closing in Moscow from every direction, it was his only option. He came face to face with two of his most defiant adversaries, Nigel and Rachel, as well as allied representatives from various powers that had formed during the course of the war. They stared at each other intently, anger burning in all of their eyes. The war had costed countless lives, and ruined god knows how many others.

Rachel stepped forward, followed by Father. In between the two of them, a desk with several paperwork. Father grunted, he knew that by accepting unconditional surrender he had to agree to their terms. Father reluctantly took out a pen, and began signing the documents that he would have to obey after all treaties were signed.

The Supreme Leader stood there motionless, staring at him grudgingly. She supposed it wasn't his fault for everything, after all, it was the Hasayan's who gave him the idea in the first place. But still, he in the end, he caused the most damage.

Behind Father stood Cree, and the remnants of his central command, all who persuaded him that surrendering was their only chance of survival.

As he signed the last document, the ship was eerily quiet, with the sound of wind and flags waving in the air. Rachel spoke up. "Today marks the end of this war, the end to all this pointless suffering and bloodshed. Let me remind you that even though we may have won, we did so at a heavy cost. We have lost our friends, our families, our homes, and to many of us, a part of ourselves. A part of ourselves that could never return to us, because that part of us has witnessed too much suffering, too much killing, and too much sorrow. Now, let us have a moment of silence for all of those who lost their lives during this horrible war," Rachel took off her Supreme Leader helmet and placed it front of her. Her example was followed by everyone else on the ship. The stillness on the ship created an eerie feeling, like the souls of those who died were watching.

After several minutes of silence, the ship rocked with shouting, cheering and clapping. Finally, the world was once again at peace.

* * *

Rachel and Nigel didn't attend the celebration. They didn't care for it really. Instead they returned back to the Moon Base, which was for the first time since before the war, nearly empty. They finally had a chance to be in each others company, in peace. Despite the relationship status between the two basically implied, they were both far too busy fighting the war to even spend time together. But now the conflict had subsided, freeing both of their schedules.

They were in the empty command post, which provided a beautiful view of Earth, some argued even better then the observation post. The scene was absolutely breathtaking.

"Guess just like that huh? It's finally over." Nigel commented. No more secrets, no more shadow organizations, no more war. Their months of constant combat had finally paid off. Rachel gazed at the blue planet, responding with a late answer to his question, "Yeah..."

Rachel, inside though, was sad, sad that in just a few days, he would finally ascend into the GKND. He would leave Earth for a long time, with a very high chance of him never returning at all. She got closer to time, until Nigel spontaneously embraced her into a hug, "sheesh, can you stop with this 'playing it safe' stuff? You already know we're beyond that!" he joked.

She grinned back, "well excuse me Nigel Uno", her voice full of intimacy. She snuggled her face nicely into his chest, both of them enjoying the amazing view of Earth.

* * *

Rachel knew this day would come. It was Nigel's last day on Earth.

Much to her dismay, and... disappointment, he managed to totally screw up his final mission. All he and his sector were assigned to do was to retrieve the Delightful Children From Down the Lane's birthday cake, but they couldn't even do that! How they managed to fight during the war with such valor, yet alone survive escaped her. She really had no choice but to put him off the mission, despite his heavy protests. Well, she technically did, until she found out he was participating in some stupid scavenger hunt which she knew was a trap from Father and his children.

Usually, she would immediately send Fanny and her squads to interfere with any operative disobeying her orders, but in this case she couldn't. Whether she knew it or not, she played favorites, and Nigel was one of them.

She walked back and fourth, back and fourth, wondering if she would be able to even say good bye to him. And if she did... well, she didn't want to think about it. Perhaps' Infinity was right. It was foolish of her, and she felt like she did it for her own selfish gain. If she had followed the original plan, at least Nigel would leave with the illusion that there was nothing between the two.

He would've left Earth maybe a heartbroken soul, but at least he wouldn't have to endure the pain of leaving someone he loved behind.

* * *

The boy said his final farewell to his friends, and his family. He left, knowing that he would perhaps, never return back to Earth. While he would be off fighting adult tyranny throughout the galaxy, everyone he knew would age, until one by one they all finally succumbed to the inevitable. But perhaps' the one thing that hurt him the most was the fact that he never would get to say goodbye to Rachel. He would never get to see her face one last time, or hear her gentle voice. It was heartbreaking.

The thought hit him like a knife going straight into his chest. His sudden disappearance would undoubtedly worry the blonde girl, and she would most likely order a worldwide search for him. But after while, he thought, when they finally assumed the worst, Rachel would eventually just give up. She would live on with a sense of longing, a feeling of lost, without even so much as closure or a hint onto where he went. It haunted him, and he wished he could turn back.

His ship drew closer and closer to the Moon, making the Moon Base visible. Somewhere in there was Rachel, probably completely oblivious that the boy who meant so much to her would be soon passing right by, right in front of her face.

Nigel shed a tear, all he asked for was a simple goodbye. The ship violently jerked, followed by what felt like a change in the ship's direction. It was at this point that he noticed that he was not actually moving past the Moon, but closer too it, directly on course for the Moon Base.

His ship landed on the empty Moon Base dock, it's hanger empty due to the time of day. The sound of ship's door opening filled the sound of the bald boy's ears, causing a reluctant Nigel to walk out. Why he was on the Moon Base? He didn't know.

A large figure emerged, stopping just outside of the bright lights of the ship, his voice deep and intimidating, "Congratulations on your admittance into the Galactic Kids Next Door. Now I'm sure you have many questions pertaining to this current situations, and perhaps many more regarding everything that has happened to you over the past couple of months." Nigel looked at the darkly lit figure with utter confusion. What was exactly going on here?

"Who are you?" he asked reluctantly.

* * *

Rachel was utterly depressed, she knew that by this point, Nigel was gone. Gone for good. She sobbed quietly in her office, happy or rather relieved that there weren't many operatives on the Moon Base at this hour.

She decided to go grab something to eat; the cafeteria was still opened for anyone else working late on the Moon Base. Perhaps that would provide her with momentary relief. Besides, it was Meatball sandwich day.

The cafeteria for the most part was empty, with the exception of some of the staff and a few operatives that were scattered on various tables in the large mess hall. After grabbing her tray and filling it with god knows how many servings of meatball sandwiches and ice cream, she quietly sat down. She ate in reticent, downing sandwich after sandwich, until finally her tray was finished. For some odd reason it wasn't enough, and the blonde commander felt the urge to get more food when another tray suddenly appeared in front of her.

"Care for seconds?" a familiar British accent asked. Rachel looked down on the plate, which to her appeared to be salvation, "Yeah, thanks..." she didn't even bother facing up to the person who just offered her the tray, too busy eating away her misery. She took one last bite, now finally satisfied with her meal. Rachel wondered who this generous person was, and switched her attention to thank whoever offered her the food. The girl gasped, not believing who stood in front of her.

Impossible... it's probably just Infinity playing a joke, but that couldn't be he's always so damn serious, "Nigel?!" she exclaimed, nearly spitting out her chewed food.

"In the flesh," he smirked, cocky as ever. She was overjoyed with emotions, and nearly jumped over the table to grasp him in the tightest hug she'd ever given him. He didn't leave yet after all! But then realization soon struck her, "you don't have much to time do you?" Nigel shook his head.

"I have a few hours, at most."

"Why'd they send you here then? Their demanding something I bet." There had to be a logical explanation for why they sent him back.

He smiled ,"Actually no, they didn't think it was right for me to leave you without saying as much as a good bye." Rachel was surprised, someone higher up than Infinity must've had a say in this, because there was no way he would've allowed this. Whoever it or whatever gave Rachel the opportunity to see Nigel once last time, she gave them her utmost gratitude.

She wasted no time spending the small time given to her with him. They talked for what seemed to last an eternity, ranging from missions and the war, all the way down to the much simpler things in life like ice cream. And for those short amounts of times when they weren't talking, they remained silent, just enjoying each other's company. But like all good things, Rachel knew this would all eventually come to and end. Nigel would finally leave, and Rachel would continue her remaining time in the KND as Supreme Leader. She would go one and live a normal life, while he was off achieving great things for the GKND. It hurt inside, but she knew that this was what was best for both of them.

Nigel's communicator went off. "Unfortunately your time us up Numbuh 1, please return back to the hangar bay."

Rachel looked at him, her eyes filled with acceptance. She nodded slowly.

"I'll be there shortly, Numbuh 1 out." he closed his communicator, putting it back into his pocket.

Nigel grabbed Rachel's hand, his tender touch causing her to shiver. "One last walk together." he whispered into her, his eyes slowly watering. He grasped her hand tighter into his, their fingers interlocking into a perfect fit.

They walked to the deck, the Moon Base now virtually empty aside from the occasional late shift worker or security personal. It was a quiet walk, and none of them said a word, too afraid of choking up from the emotions stirring up in both of them. The two finally made it to the hangar, the place where they would say their final farewells.

He tugged her into a hug, and she cuddled up against him like a wife saying goodbye to her husband going off to war. Their faces drew closer and closer, until finally their faces were only an inch apart.

"You should've told me you knew." he smirked.

"Well if I did there was no way you'd leave without me watching your back all the time." She teased back. And then finally it happened, ever so gently and slowly, his lips made contact with hers. It was a feeling she never felt before. It felt so right, like they were meant for each other. Inside her, she was in a state of ecstasy and happiness.

She enjoyed it, even though she knew that the next few minutes would break her apart.

He let go, reluctant. This would probably be the last time he would hold her in his arms. The last time he would see her gentle face and her golden soft hair. He broke away from her slowly. Up above was a beam coming down from a large ship through one of the glass windows. Rachel knew that when Nigel entered the beam, he would be gone.

"Good bye Rachel, we'll meet again, someday."

She couldn't take it anymore, and finally for once in her life she mustered up the courage to say those three words that she thought she'd never say. "I love you."

A tear developed and traveled down Nigel's cheek. "I love you too Rachel."

He then gave her one last kiss, one last hug, one final farewell before he would leave to travel across the stars.

"One day Rachel, one day... I know I won't be there for you for, but remember no matter what happens, always remember to keep your faith_"_

She nodded back, fighting back the tears begging to flood out of her eyes. "I will... but you must also remember to keep yours. Even though we'll be stars apart, please promise me you'll be ok Nigel Uno... "

"I promise Rachel McKenzie." he said back, his voice filled with a hint of softness. He slowly walked to the beam, not turning back until he was completely enveloped by it. He stared at her and smiled, and she did the same.

A silent oath bounded their souls, which were now filled with a promise and sense of commitment that both were eager to fulfill.

His body began to fade, and they both gazed affectionately at each other until the beam finally disappeared, along with Nigel. She looked up as the ship entered hyperspace, headed to new planets and new civilizations.

A tear silently fell down her cheek.

She would wait for him even if that meant total and utmost heartbreak for her in the end.

* * *

_...17 years later..._

The sound of children playing in the backyard echoed throughout the large estate. It was an elegant house, situated in a rich community.

A young blonde women, around her late twenties turns off her large LCD television. She was on vacation, for once. Her job wasn't exactly the most stress free environment. Being head of an intelligence agency... well that explains everything in itself. The blonde women was perhaps the youngest person in her line of work, but ironically the most experienced.

It was a job that gave her sense of nostalgia, a job that took her back to her younger days. She found it funny how her children attempted to hide their involvement with a said children organization, because back in the day, she was in _charge_ of it. Although it was much more evolved and serious these days.

The young woman got up, and headed straight for the fire place which contained many portraits of her and her family. But the thing that grabbed her interests was a unique photo. She grabbed the picture frame and stared it on for a long time. On it, a bald headed boy wearing red shades and a red sweater.

She remembered everything they did together, and she longed for those days. It had been such a long time since they said goodbye on that distant beautiful night. The blonde woman remembered the hurt she felt, the feeling of forever waiting for someone who would probably never return.

A voice whispered into her ears, causing a shiver to travel up and down her spine. "What are you looking at babe?" She smiled, turning her head to look at the man. "Just a picture of you when you were younger. I think you should've stayed bald." she teased. He grabbed her from behind her waist and kissed her softly on the cheek.

The man whispered into hair, his voice full of intimacy. "Nah, besides, when I got my hair back you just couldn't resist me."

The blonde woman chuckled, "Yeah, whatever," kissing him on the lips quickly. The British man looked out towards the backyard, where his two beautiful children were playing. They resembled both of them so much, especially their daughter who was basically a carbon copy of his wife, except with brown hair.

"Let's say we go and play with the children? They barely see you after all." She leaned her head forward, muttering something into his ear, "you'd be the one to say that 'Mister I like to just travel across space and go on intergalactic missions for years on end'.

The man laughed gleefully, she had a point.

And then without further a due, they both walked out to the large backyard, eager to spend time with their children.

Little did the two youngsters know that once upon a time, their parents were regarded as the best operatives to have ever serve the KND, battling against adult oppression, and fighting for more than just the rights of children, but for humanity.

But perhaps the most profound thing of all was not the pain, the suffering, or even the struggle.

It was the commitment and relationship between two individuals who managed to stay strong not just for themselves, but for each other.

**_END TRANSMISSION_**

* * *

**A/N: ****Yep, and that is the conclusion to this story and my first fanfic! I'm almost kinda sad, I really enjoyed writing this story. Thanks to all of you who have followed along until the end! I appreciate it. (This includes everyone; readers, followers, favs, reviews, you know who you are!)**

**Decided to end the story off with a positive note **

**Maybe I'll write a spinoff or sequel, still haven't decided.**

**Anyway, until next time! My next project may come sooner than you expect haha.**

_**!RANDOM TRIVIA!**_

_In case some of you were wondering, there were a couple of easter eggs, parallels to certain real world events and stuff._

_1)Admiral Numbuh 288 - number is 288 because that's about how many ships's are in the US navy (number varies depending on source)_

_2)Admiral Numbuh 1942 - number influenced by the Battle Of Midway during World War 2 which occurred in the year 1942_

_3)Project ZEUS/satellite weaponry - based off the United States program, Project Manhattan, which developed atomic weapons_

_4)Kids Next Door inability to act fast - based off the 'Appeasement' that many countries gave Hitler during the 1930's and 1940's and United States isolation during the early phases of World War 2_

_Now there's a couple(a lot) more, but I'll let you decide :)_


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